• Saba Altamimi, Zain Almokhaizeem, Heba Alfouzan, Bedour AlHajri, Deema Alenezi, Yosor Alqudeimat, Waleed Almansouri, Sayed Alzalzalah, Wilfried Karmaus, and Ali H Ziyab.
• Department of Community Medicine and Behavioral Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Safat, Kuwait.
• Med Princ Pract. 2022 Jan 1; 31 (1): 88-92.

ObjectivesThe role of children in the transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains unclear. We investigated whether having children is associated with self-reported COVID-19 among adults.Subjects And MethodsA web-based cross-sectional study enrolled adults living in Kuwait (n = 2,355; aged ≥21 years). Prior COVID-19 diagnosis and having children were self-reported. Associations were assessed using Poisson regression, and adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated.ResultsOf the 2,355 participants (1,595 female subjects), 744 (31.6%) and 605 (25.7%) were of age 21-29 and 30-39 years, respectively. Overall, 4.8% (114/2,355) of the participants reported having had COVID-19, with 4.8% of females and 5.1% of males reporting prior COVID-19 diagnosis. In the total study sample, having children showed a trend for association with having had COVID-19 (aPR: 1.46, 95% CI: 0.99-2.14, p = 0.056). Among participants aged 21-29 years, having children was associated with an increased prevalence of COVID-19 (aPR: 2.50, 95% CI: 1.21-5.20, p = 0.014). Such an association was not detected in adults aged ≥30 years.ConclusionsOur epidemiological findings highlight the possible role of children in spreading COVID-19. Hence, preventive measures should consider the role of children.© 2021 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.

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