Exploring factors in fear of COVID-19 and its GIS-based nationwide distribution: the case of Bangladesh
Background The COVID-19 pandemic is a public health threat of international concern, intensifying peoples’ psychological risk and vulnerability by strengthening mental health stressors such as fear, panic and uncertainty. The unexpected fear of COVID-19 has been reported to be associated with suicid...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2021-09-01
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| Series: | BJPsych Open |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2056472421009844/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1827995624262336512 |
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| author | Mohammed A. Mamun |
| author_facet | Mohammed A. Mamun |
| author_sort | Mohammed A. Mamun |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background
The COVID-19 pandemic is a public health threat of international concern, intensifying peoples’ psychological risk and vulnerability by strengthening mental health stressors such as fear, panic and uncertainty. The unexpected fear of COVID-19 has been reported to be associated with suicide occurrences, similar to prior pandemics.
Aims
Identifying the factors associated with fear of COVID-19 could help us to develop better mental health strategy and practice to improve the situation here in Bangladesh. This was the first attempt to present a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based distribution of fear of COVID-19 across the country's administrative districts in a nationwide sample.
Method
Data for a total of 10 067 individuals were collected by an online survey during the first wave of the pandemic (1 to 10 April 2020); data for 10 052 participants were finally analysed after excluding 15 transgender individuals. The survey questionnaire included items concerning sociodemographic, behavioural and health-related variables, COVID-19-related issues, and the Bangla Fear of COVID-19 Scale.
Results
The mean fear of COVID-19 scores was 21.30 ± 6.01 (out of a possible 35) in the present sample. Female gender, highly educated, non-smoker, non-alcohol consumer, having chronic diseases, using social media, and using social media and not using newspapers as COVID-19 information sources were associated with a higher level of fear of COVID-19. Higher levels of fear of COVID-19 were found in districts of Magura, Panchagarh, Tangail, Sunamganj and Munshiganj; by contrast, Kushtia, Pirojpur, Chapainawabganj, Jhalokathi and Naogaon districts had lower fear of COVID-19. Based on the GIS-distribution, fear of COVID-19 was significantly associated with the district as well as in respect to its gender-based and education-level-based associations. However, fear of COVID-19 and COVID-19 cases were heterogeneously distributed across the districts; that is, no consistent association of higher COVID-19 cases with higher fear of COVID-19 was found.
Conclusions
This study being exploratory in nature may help to facilitate further studies, as well as directing governmental initiatives for reducing fear of COVID-19 in at-risk individuals. Providing adequate resources and mental health services in the administrative regions identified as highly vulnerable to fear of COVID-19 is recommended.
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| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T04:59:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7a0834228e254e42ac2ae41e0d5eeb28 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2056-4724 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T04:59:16Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BJPsych Open |
| spelling | doaj.art-7a0834228e254e42ac2ae41e0d5eeb282023-03-09T12:29:14ZengCambridge University PressBJPsych Open2056-47242021-09-01710.1192/bjo.2021.984Exploring factors in fear of COVID-19 and its GIS-based nationwide distribution: the case of BangladeshMohammed A. Mamun0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1728-8966Director, CHINTA Research Bangladesh, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh, and Department of Public Health and Informatics, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka, BangladeshBackground The COVID-19 pandemic is a public health threat of international concern, intensifying peoples’ psychological risk and vulnerability by strengthening mental health stressors such as fear, panic and uncertainty. The unexpected fear of COVID-19 has been reported to be associated with suicide occurrences, similar to prior pandemics. Aims Identifying the factors associated with fear of COVID-19 could help us to develop better mental health strategy and practice to improve the situation here in Bangladesh. This was the first attempt to present a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based distribution of fear of COVID-19 across the country's administrative districts in a nationwide sample. Method Data for a total of 10 067 individuals were collected by an online survey during the first wave of the pandemic (1 to 10 April 2020); data for 10 052 participants were finally analysed after excluding 15 transgender individuals. The survey questionnaire included items concerning sociodemographic, behavioural and health-related variables, COVID-19-related issues, and the Bangla Fear of COVID-19 Scale. Results The mean fear of COVID-19 scores was 21.30 ± 6.01 (out of a possible 35) in the present sample. Female gender, highly educated, non-smoker, non-alcohol consumer, having chronic diseases, using social media, and using social media and not using newspapers as COVID-19 information sources were associated with a higher level of fear of COVID-19. Higher levels of fear of COVID-19 were found in districts of Magura, Panchagarh, Tangail, Sunamganj and Munshiganj; by contrast, Kushtia, Pirojpur, Chapainawabganj, Jhalokathi and Naogaon districts had lower fear of COVID-19. Based on the GIS-distribution, fear of COVID-19 was significantly associated with the district as well as in respect to its gender-based and education-level-based associations. However, fear of COVID-19 and COVID-19 cases were heterogeneously distributed across the districts; that is, no consistent association of higher COVID-19 cases with higher fear of COVID-19 was found. Conclusions This study being exploratory in nature may help to facilitate further studies, as well as directing governmental initiatives for reducing fear of COVID-19 in at-risk individuals. Providing adequate resources and mental health services in the administrative regions identified as highly vulnerable to fear of COVID-19 is recommended. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2056472421009844/type/journal_articleCOVID-19 fearpsychological impactfear of infectionfear of COVID-19 scaleGIS-based distributionBangladesh |
| spellingShingle | Mohammed A. Mamun Exploring factors in fear of COVID-19 and its GIS-based nationwide distribution: the case of Bangladesh BJPsych Open COVID-19 fear psychological impact fear of infection fear of COVID-19 scale GIS-based distribution Bangladesh |
| title | Exploring factors in fear of COVID-19 and its GIS-based nationwide distribution: the case of Bangladesh |
| title_full | Exploring factors in fear of COVID-19 and its GIS-based nationwide distribution: the case of Bangladesh |
| title_fullStr | Exploring factors in fear of COVID-19 and its GIS-based nationwide distribution: the case of Bangladesh |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring factors in fear of COVID-19 and its GIS-based nationwide distribution: the case of Bangladesh |
| title_short | Exploring factors in fear of COVID-19 and its GIS-based nationwide distribution: the case of Bangladesh |
| title_sort | exploring factors in fear of covid 19 and its gis based nationwide distribution the case of bangladesh |
| topic | COVID-19 fear psychological impact fear of infection fear of COVID-19 scale GIS-based distribution Bangladesh |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2056472421009844/type/journal_article |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mohammedamamun exploringfactorsinfearofcovid19anditsgisbasednationwidedistributionthecaseofbangladesh |