Psychological impact of COVID-19 and determinants among Spanish university students
BackgroundUniversity students are a vulnerable population and faced a significant psychological impact from the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the level of fear of COVID-19 among university students and to evaluate the possible relationship between fear of COVID-19 and s...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-10-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1252849/full |
| _version_ | 1797657309056335872 |
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| author | Jesús Cebrino Silvia Portero de la Cruz Silvia Portero de la Cruz |
| author_facet | Jesús Cebrino Silvia Portero de la Cruz Silvia Portero de la Cruz |
| author_sort | Jesús Cebrino |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundUniversity students are a vulnerable population and faced a significant psychological impact from the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the level of fear of COVID-19 among university students and to evaluate the possible relationship between fear of COVID-19 and socio-demographic, health-related determinants, variables related to the COVID-19 and variables related to the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study between December 2020 and December 2021 on a sample of 950 university students from two universities in southern Spain. Participants completed a form that collected socio-demographic, health-related and COVID-related variables, a validated questionnaire related to the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the fear of COVID Scale (FCV-19S). Descriptive, inferential, and multivariable linear regression analyzes were conducted.ResultsThe mean FCV-19S score was 14.86 ± 5.16 points. The factors identified as predictors of FCV-19S were being female (p < 0.001), holding religious beliefs (p = 0.04), living in towns with over 10,000 inhabitants (p < 0.01), living with someone vulnerable to COVID-19 (p = 0.02), watching TV to keep informed about COVID-19 (p < 0.01), believing in a low probability of surviving if infected with COVID-19 (p < 0.001), having a higher level of death anxiety (p < 0.001) and suffering from insomnia (p < 0.001).ConclusionAn average fear of COVID-19 score of 14.86 ± 5.16 points has been found among university students in Spain. These findings can aid in identifying specific factors contributing to fear of COVID-19 and in developing coping strategies to alleviate the stress of the pandemic. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T17:42:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-21338ef526014b0796529cf71591dd4f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T17:42:36Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-21338ef526014b0796529cf71591dd4f2023-10-18T09:04:55ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652023-10-011110.3389/fpubh.2023.12528491252849Psychological impact of COVID-19 and determinants among Spanish university studentsJesús Cebrino0Silvia Portero de la Cruz1Silvia Portero de la Cruz2Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Seville, Seville, SpainDepartment of Nursing, Pharmacology and Physiotherapy, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, SpainResearch Group GE10 Clinical and Epidemiological Research in Primary Care, Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba, SpainBackgroundUniversity students are a vulnerable population and faced a significant psychological impact from the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the level of fear of COVID-19 among university students and to evaluate the possible relationship between fear of COVID-19 and socio-demographic, health-related determinants, variables related to the COVID-19 and variables related to the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study between December 2020 and December 2021 on a sample of 950 university students from two universities in southern Spain. Participants completed a form that collected socio-demographic, health-related and COVID-related variables, a validated questionnaire related to the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the fear of COVID Scale (FCV-19S). Descriptive, inferential, and multivariable linear regression analyzes were conducted.ResultsThe mean FCV-19S score was 14.86 ± 5.16 points. The factors identified as predictors of FCV-19S were being female (p < 0.001), holding religious beliefs (p = 0.04), living in towns with over 10,000 inhabitants (p < 0.01), living with someone vulnerable to COVID-19 (p = 0.02), watching TV to keep informed about COVID-19 (p < 0.01), believing in a low probability of surviving if infected with COVID-19 (p < 0.001), having a higher level of death anxiety (p < 0.001) and suffering from insomnia (p < 0.001).ConclusionAn average fear of COVID-19 score of 14.86 ± 5.16 points has been found among university students in Spain. These findings can aid in identifying specific factors contributing to fear of COVID-19 and in developing coping strategies to alleviate the stress of the pandemic.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1252849/fullCOVID-19fearpublic healthSpainstudents |
| spellingShingle | Jesús Cebrino Silvia Portero de la Cruz Silvia Portero de la Cruz Psychological impact of COVID-19 and determinants among Spanish university students Frontiers in Public Health COVID-19 fear public health Spain students |
| title | Psychological impact of COVID-19 and determinants among Spanish university students |
| title_full | Psychological impact of COVID-19 and determinants among Spanish university students |
| title_fullStr | Psychological impact of COVID-19 and determinants among Spanish university students |
| title_full_unstemmed | Psychological impact of COVID-19 and determinants among Spanish university students |
| title_short | Psychological impact of COVID-19 and determinants among Spanish university students |
| title_sort | psychological impact of covid 19 and determinants among spanish university students |
| topic | COVID-19 fear public health Spain students |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1252849/full |
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