Exploring fear of COVID-19 and its correlates among older adults in Bangladesh

Mistry, Sabuj Kanti and Ali, A. R. M. Mehrab and Akther, Farhana and Yadav, Uday Narayan and Harris, Mark F. (2021) Exploring fear of COVID-19 and its correlates among older adults in Bangladesh. Globalization and Health, 17 (1). ISSN 1744-8603, DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-021-00698-0. (In Press)

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Abstract

Objective This study was aimed to assess the perceived fear of COVID-19 and its associated factors among older adults in Bangladesh. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in October 2020 among 1032 older Bangladeshi adults aged >= 60 years. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect information on participants' characteristics and COVID-19 related information. Perceived fear of COVID-19 was measured using the seven-item Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S), where the cumulative score ranged from 7 to 35. Multiple linear regression was performed to identify factors associated with perceived fear of COVID-19. Results The mean fear score was 19.4. Participants who were concerned about COVID-19 (beta: 2.75, 95% CI: 1.71 to 3.78) and overwhelmed by COVID-19 (beta: 3.31, 95% CI: 2.33 to 4.29) were significantly more likely to be fearful of COVID-19. Moreover, older adults who felt themselves isolated from others and whose close friends and family members were diagnosed with COVID-19 were more fearful. However, the participants who received COVID-19 related information from the health workers had a lower level of fear (beta: -1.90, 95% CI: - 3.06 to - 0.73). Conclusions The presence of overwhelming fear of COVID-19 among the older adults of Bangladesh underlines the psychological needs of these vulnerable groups. Health workers have a key role in addressing these needs and further research is needed to identify the effective strategies for them to use.

Item Type: Article
Funders: None
Uncontrolled Keywords: Fear; COVID-19; Older adults; FCV-19S; Bangladesh
Subjects: R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine
Divisions: Faculty of Medicine
Depositing User: Ms Zaharah Ramly
Date Deposited: 13 Apr 2022 01:18
Last Modified: 13 Apr 2022 01:18
URI: http://eprints.um.edu.my/id/eprint/27892

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