evaluating behavioral changes prevalence among primary and preschool children due to covid-19 epidemic

Background: the covid-19 pandemic and its subsequent changes in the community lifestyle can be associated with problems andcomplications. it seems very important to identify the problems caused by the covid-19 pandemic accurately.objectives: this study aimed to investigate behavioral changes in children due to the covid-19 pandemic in south khorasan in2021.methods: in this cross-sectional study, 312 children were studied. inclusion criteria included all children under 12 years of age withoutapparent mental disorders and chronic diseases affecting behavioral changes. exclusion criteria were parental separation, experiencingnatural disasters in the last two years, losing a first-degree family member in the last two years, and any underlying diseasein the child and first-degree family members. the questionnaires included a demographic questionnaire and the ruther children’sbehavior questionnaire, completed by parents online due to the covid-19 epidemic and the new situation.results: the results showed that the behavioral disorder prevalence was 37.2% (n = 116). the mean scores were 3.10  2.23 foraggression-hyperactivity, 3.113.08 for anxiety-depression, 2.651.79 for social maladaptation, 2.341.83 for antisocial behavior,and 1.591.29 for attention deficit. there wasnosignificant relationship between demographic indicators and behavioral disorders(p > 0.05).conclusions: the results indicated an increase in the prevalence of behavioral disorders in children during the covid-19 pandemic.therefore, it seems necessary to identify influencing factors and find appropriate solutions to prevent such disorders.