State and Trait Anxiety Levels of Adolescents in a Changing Society, Kirikkale City, Turkey

Adolescents face rapidly changing challenges. Psychosocial health problems during adolescence are relatively common in all cultures. This study was designed to evaluate the state and trait anxiety status and influencing sociodemographic and other factors, thought to pertain to youth, on anxiety among school children in Kirikkale. It was carried out at three public primary and two high schools representative of two different socioeconomic statuses. 430 Turkish school children (246 girls, 184 boys) were asked voluntarily to answer a set of questionnaires in their classrooms at the beginning of a training programme. Then the State and Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children was administered. Mean age of the students was 14.16 ± 1.87 years. The mean total STAI-CS and STAI-CT scores were 40.24 ± 11.64, and 44.71 ± 9.64, respectively. There were no differences in STAI-CS and STAI-CT scores between boys and girls in both schools and in all age groups. Among girls, a positive body image had a significant effect on state anxiety scores. There was a positive correlation between age and anxiety scores (r = .17, F:12.176, p < .001). Students identifying their families SES as bad and/or moderate scored significantly higher in comparison to the other groups (p < .05). STAI-CS scores were higher for lower educational grade, higher body weight and sleep problems. In Kirikkale, a city faced with substantial changes in cultural and traditional norms, adolescents could be expected to be under stress and appear to be responding to stress with anxiety.