The psychometric properties of the Arabic version of the fear of COVID-19 scale
Aim: We aimed to translate and perform transcultural adaptation of the English version of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) to Arabic, and assess predictors of COVID-19 fear. Methods: We translated the original seven-item English FCV-19S to Arabic, then back-translated the scale to English. The s...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Nature and Science of Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.jnsmonline.org/article.asp?issn=2589-627X;year=2023;volume=6;issue=1;spage=18;epage=23;aulast=Khalifah |
| Summary: | Aim: We aimed to translate and perform transcultural adaptation of the English version of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) to Arabic, and assess predictors of COVID-19 fear. Methods: We translated the original seven-item English FCV-19S to Arabic, then back-translated the scale to English. The scale was evaluated by a group of medical experts and participants from the general population to test for content and face validity. The final version of the scale was assessed in a cross-sectional study that included adults residing in Saudi Arabia, who participated in a study to assess the impact of COVID-19 fear on children's vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic curfew March 24–July 6, 2020. Results: Overall, 577 participants responded to the survey. The mean age was 32.6 ± 5.7 years, and the majority had bachelor's or postgraduate university degrees. COVID-19 was diagnosed in 1.4% of the participants. The mean total score for the COVID-19 fear scale was 20 ± 5.4. The COVID-19 fear scale had excellent internal consistency and Cronbach's alpha 0.85 (95% confidence interval 0.93–0.96). Conclusions: The modified Arabic version of the FCV-19S is a valid and reliable tool to measure fear levels during the pandemic of COVID-19. Using an appropriate psychometric tool to measure the level of fear can help in monitoring changes in population fear levels, and implementing population-level measures to limit unwarranted fear. |
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| ISSN: | 2589-627X 2589-6288 |