Factors associated with the perception of fear of COVID-19 in university students

Modena, Camille Francine; Kogien, Moisés; Marcon, Samira Reschetti; Demenech, Lauro Miranda; Nascimento, Frantielen Castor dos Santos; Carrijo, Marcos Vítor Naves

doi:10.1590/0034-7167-2021-0448

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ORIGINAL ARTICLE • Rev. Bras. Enferm. 75 (Suppl 1) • 2022 • https://doi.org/10.1590/0034-7167-2021-0448 copy

Factors associated with the perception of fear of COVID-19 in university students

Factores asociados a la percepción de miedo al COVID-19 en estudiantes universitarios

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

ABSTRACT

Objective:

to analyze the factors associated with the perception of fear of COVID-19 in Brazilian university students.

Methods:

this is an online, cross-sectional analytical study conducted at a Brazilian public university with 1,437 undergraduate students between September and November 2020. The Fear of COVID-19 Scale was used to measure the main construct. Data analysis was performed using Mann-Whitney U test, Cohen’s r test and multiple linear regression analysis.

Results:

factors associated with fear of COVID-19 in university students were the variables biological sex, perception of good sleep quality, many days of access to information, not complying with social distancing, reporting sufficient hours of sleep, not having a partner, guidance sexual non-heterosexual, being in the risk group for COVID-19 and tobacco consumption.

Conclusions:

the study findings can contribute to the discussion about the weaknesses that the university population is experiencing in this pandemic period.

Descriptors:
Fear; COVID-19; Students; University; Risk Factors

Fear perception classification	RR	95% CI
Little fear (n = 570)	39.7%	37.2 - 42.2
Moderate fear (n = 600)	41.8%	39.1 - 44.4
Very scared (n = 267)	18.6%	16.6 - 20.8
	Mean score	Standard deviation
Fear of COVID-19	20.78	±6.283

Sociodemographic characteristics	Mean score (standard deviation)	Z	p value	_r
Biological sex
Male (n = 483)	18.33 (±6.544)	-10.170	< 0.001	0.26
Female (n = 954)	20.29 (±6.767)	-10.170	< 0.001	0.26
Median age (22 years)
< 22 years old (n = 797)	20.74 (±6.139)	-0.196	0.844	0.01
≥ 22 years old (n = 640)	20.83 (±6.463)	-0.196	0.844	0.01
Self-reported skin color
White (n = 587)	20.69 (±6.106)	-0.684	0.494	0.02
None-white (n =850)	20.84 (±6.406)	-0.684	0.494	0.02
Marital status
With partner (n=655)	21.26 (±6.158)	-2.702	0.007	0.07
No partner (n = 782)	20.37 (±6.362)	-2.702	0.007	0.07
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual (n = 1028)	20.30 (±6.236)	-4.477	< 0.001	0.12
Non-heterosexual (n=409)	21.97 (±6.253)	-4.477	< 0.001	0.12
Religious belief
Yes (n=985)	20.90 (±6.190)	-1.203	0.229	0.03
No (n=452)	20.50 (±6.481)	-1.203	0.229	0.03

Behavioral characteristics	Mean score (standard deviation)	Z	p value	_r
Alcohol consumption
Yes (n = 770)	21.20 (±6.159)	-2.467	0.014	0.07
No (n = 667)	20.29 (±6.394)	-2.467	0.014	0.07
Tobacco consumption
Yes (n = 175)	21.67 (±6.827)	-2.059	0.039	0.05
No (n = 1262)	20.65 (±6.197)	-2.059	0.039	0.05
Marijuana consumption
Yes (n = 148)	21.30 (±6.099)	-0.274	0.274	0.01
No (n = 1289)	20.72 (±6.304)	-0.274	0.274	0.01
Increased alcohol consumption during the pandemic
No increase (n = 616)	20.96 (±6.125)	-2.267	0.023	0.08
With increase (n = 154)	22.16 (±6.224)	-2.267	0.023	0.08
Increased tobacco use during the pandemic
No increase (n = 132)	21.24 (±6.874)	-1.492	0.136	0.11
With increase (n = 43)	23.05 (±6.572)	-1.492	0.136	0.11
Increased marijuana use during the pandemic
No increase (n = 122)	21.72 (±5.956)	-1.605	0.109	0.13
With increase (n = 26)	19.31 (±6.485)	-1.605	0.109	0.13
Subjective assessment of sleep quality during the pandemic
No perception of worsening (n = 719)	18.90 (±5.949)	-11.447	< 0.001	0.30
With perception of worsening (n = 718)	22.66 (±6.047)	-11.447	< 0.001	0.30
Subjective assessment of the amount of sleep hours
No change (n = 421)	19.01 (±6.019)	-6.779	< 0.001	0.18
With change (n = 1016)	21.51 (±6.247)	-6.779	< 0.001	0.18

Contextual characteristics to the pandemic	Mean score (standard deviation)	Z	p value	_r
Comply with social distancing
Yes (n = 910)	21.28 (±6.124)	-3.875	< 0.001	0.10
No (n = 527)	19.90 (±6.463)	-3.875	< 0.001	0.10
COVID-19 diagnosis
Yes (n = 325)	20.76 (±5.906)	-0.096	0.924	0.00
No (n = 1112)	20.78 (±6.392)	-0.096	0.924	0.00
Risk group for COVID-19
Yes (n = 446)	21.83 (±6.553)	-4.104	< 0.001	0.11
No (n = 991)	20.30 (±6.102)	-4.104	< 0.001	0.11
Access to pandemic-related information during the week
Few days of access (n = 819)	20.03 (±6.237)	-5.144	< 0.001	0.14
Many days of access (n = 618)	21.76 (±6.214)	-5.144	< 0.001	0.14

Variables (reference category)	Multiple linear regression analysis			95%CI	t	p value	VIF
	Coefficients non-standard		Standardized coefficient
	B	Standard error	Β
Intercept	16.273	0.412		15.465; 17.080	39.529	< 0.001
Biological sex (female)	3.176	0.322	0.239	2.545; 3.807	9.875	< 0.001	1.046
Sleep quality (worsening)	2.498	0.344	0.199	1.823; 3.173	7.258	< 0.001	1.342
Access to information (many days of access)	1.523	0.301	0.120	0.934; 2.113	5.066	< 0.001	1.005
Social distancing (not comply)	-1.351	0.311	-0.104	-1.961;-0.741	-4.347	< 0.001	1.017
Amount of sleep (change in the amount of hours)	0.862	0.234	0.100	0.402; 1.322	3.678	< 0.001	1.321
Marital status (without a partner)	-0.978	0.304	-0.078	-1.574;-0.382	-3.218	0.001	1.038
Sexual orientation (non-heterosexual)	1.019	0.341	0.073	0.350; 1.688	2.989	0.003	1.073
Group of risk (yes)	0.887	0.325	0.065	0.250; 1.525	2.729	0.006	1.025
Tobacco consumption (yes)	0.911	0.352	0.063	0.221; 1.601	2.592	0.010	1.056

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[1] Corresponding author: Camille Francine Modena e-mail: camillefmodena@gmail.com