The impact of caregivers on COVID-19 fears, behaviors, and perceived impact in a majority Black American sample of children

Abstract

Caregivers may play an essential role in buffering and/or exacerbating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) fears and behaviors in youth. However, few studies have examined these associations in children from racial or ethnic minority groups, who have been historically marginalized and may be disproportionately susceptible to psychological consequences. Here, we examined the associations among caregivers and children in COVID-19-related fears, behaviors, and impact in a majority Black (71.9%) sample of children. Children (N = 64, 24 females, ages 7–10 years) were recruited from three Detroit, Michigan-area schools during the 2019–2020 school year. Following school shutdowns in March 2020, children and their caregivers were invited to complete remote surveys in May and August 2020. We examined the associations among child and caregiver COVID-19-related fears, preventive behaviors, and perceived impact. We also examined whether aspects of the caregiver–child relationship (i.e., closeness, conflicts) moderated these associations. Caregiver–child fears about social distancing, preventive behaviors, and the perceived impact of COVID-19 were positively correlated. The positive correlation between caregiver–child preventive behaviors strengthened over time and was moderated by caregiver–child closeness. These findings suggest that caregivers may impact fear as well as preventive behaviors and perceived impact of the pandemic in marginalized youth.