Sociodemographic factors and their predictive role in parents' future anxiety

High levels of future anxiety in parents may not only affect their cognitive processes, and attitudes but also impact their parenting behaviour and relations with the children.

In the present study, we aimed to identify the differences in the intensity of parents' future anxiety across demographic variables and to assess demographic predictors of FA.

A group of 103 parents from Eastern Poland (71% mothers and 29% fathers) completed the Future Anxiety Scale. Their children were aged 3-16 years. The 10 aspects of Future Anxiety were compared across the five parent demographic variables of gender, age, level of education, place of living (rural vs. urban), and number of children.

The results show that parents' education level, gender, and the number of children in the family were predictors of FA. Parents' age and place of living did not significantly predict FA. Mothers reported significantly higher levels of anxiety than fathers, for both general future anxiety and helplessness. Parents who had only one child reported higher levels of helplessness. However, it was the parents' level of education that showed the greatest number of significant differences. Parents with only secondary education reported higher average scores on seven (70%) of the 10 aspects of future anxiety. The differences were significant for general future anxiety, health and wellbeing, restricted freedom, the meaning of life, pessimism, helplessness, and isolation.

These findings indicated the possible groups of parents who may need support and identified potential areas of intervention.