Аңдатпа
Background. Children in Ukraine are exposed to war-related stress, and a proportion of them live in regions that include territories radioactively contaminated as a result of the Chornobyl disaster. However, evidence on trait anxiety levels and their independent predictors under these conditions remains limited, highlighting the need for quantitative assessment. Purpose – to assess the level of trait anxiety in school-aged children exposed to war-related events and to identify independent psychological and contextual factors associated with the level of trait anxiety. Materials and Methods. A cross-sectional study included 231 school-age children from three regions of Ukraine, including settlements located in radioactively contaminated territories. Trait anxiety, perceived stress, depressive symptoms, self-efficacy, and sleep quality were assessed using standardized questionnaires; warrelated exposure was recorded (occupation/displacement/evacuation, parental military service). Internal 137Cs activity was measured. Analyses included descriptive statistics and multivariable linear regression to identify independent predictors of anxiety. Results. Nearly half of the children (44%) had high anxiety. Girls showed higher anxiety scores than boys, and the highest levels were observed among children with occupation experience and children of military personnel. In the multivariable model (R² = 0.60), anxiety was independently associated with war-related exposure, higher perceived stress and depressive symptom scores, and lower self-efficacy. Internal 137Cs activity ranged from 37 to 7807 Bq and was not associated with anxiety. Conclusions. High levels of trait anxiety were observed among the examined children. In the multivariable linear regression model, independent predictors of anxiety included war-related exposure, higher perceived stress and depressive symptoms, and lower self-efficacy. No independent contribution of the radiation context was observed.