Background Having a premature infant in the parent brings about anxiety.

Aims A descriptive and correlational study was carried out to determine the levels of anxiety and associated factors of parents with premature infants.

Methods The research was performed at five hospitals with Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) located in the city centre of Konya between March 1 and April 30, 2012. The sample group was comprised of 97 parents with premature infants. The “Parent And Baby Information Form" prepared by researchers and Spielberger’s” State and Permanent Anxiety Scale" was used for data collection. The data were evaluated in terms of number, percentage, mean, standard deviation, t-test, Mann Whitney U and Kruskall Wallis-test.

Results The mean score of state anxiety of mothers was 40, 15 ± 11, 25 while that of fathers was 37, 32 ± 10, 87 and this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.076). The mean permanent anxiety score of mothers was 44, 30 ± 8, 98 while that of fathers was 39,45 ± 8,58 and this difference was statistically advanced significant (p = 0.000). Current gestational week,feel sufficient condition related to baby care, current living situation anxiety about the baby care, counting the baby’s breathing and evaluation had a significant effect on the anxiety level of mothers (respectively p = 0,021, p = 0,004, p = 0,000, p = 0,028). Educational status, working, perceived income status and current living situation anxiety about the baby care was observed to have a significant effect on the anxiety level of fathers (respectively p = 0,012, p = 0,010, p = 0,016, p = 0,017).

Conclusions It found that mothers and fathers of premature infants experienced mild level of anxiety.