TY - JOUR
T1 - Prevalence and factors associated with fear of COVID-19 in military personnel during the second epidemic wave in Peru
AU - Valladares-Garrido, Danai
AU - Dominguez-Troncos, Helena
AU - Picón-Reátegui, Cinthia Karina
AU - Valdiviezo-Morales, Christopher
AU - Vera-Ponce, Víctor J.
AU - Failoc-Rojas, Virgilio E.
AU - Pereira-Victorio, César Johan
AU - León-Figueroa, Darwin A
AU - Valladares-Garrido, Mario J.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2024 Valladares-Garrido, Dominguez-Troncos, Picón-Reátegui, Valdiviezo-Morales, Vera-Ponce, Failoc-Rojas, Pereira-Victorio, León-Figueroa and Valladares-Garrido.
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - Introduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the mounting workload and heightened stress may contribute to exacerbated mental health challenges, including an increased fear of COVID-19, among military personnel. Despite the potential influence of these factors, there remains a scarcity of studies addressing mental health issues, particularly the fear of COVID-19, within this specific population. We aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with fear of COVID-19 among military members. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2 and 9, 2021, during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Lambayeque region, Peru. The outcome variable was fear of COVID-19, assessed using the Fear of COVID-19 Scale. The association with resilience (Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, abbreviated as CD-RISC), food insecurity (Household Food Insecurity Access Scale, abbreviated as HFIAS), physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form, abbreviated as IPAQ-S), eating disorder (Eating Attitudes Test-26, abbreviated as EAT-26), and other socio- demographic variables was assessed. Results: Among the 525 participants, the median age was 22, 95.8% were male, and 19.2% experienced fear of COVID-19. A higher prevalence of fear of COVID-19 was associated with age (PR=1.03; 95% CI: 1.01-1.06), religion (PR=2.05; 95% CI: 1.04-4.05), eating disorder (PR=2.95; 95% CI: 1.99-4.36), and having a relative with mental disorder (PR=2.13; 95% CI: 1.09-4.17). Overweight (PR=0.58; 95% CI: 0.37-0.90) and a high level of resilience (PR=0.63; 95% CI: 0.43-0.93) were associated with a lower prevalence of fear of COVID-19. Discussion: Two out of ten military personnel were afraid of COVID-19. Our results highlight the need for targeted interventions addressing the factors contributing to fear of COVID-19 among military personnel, emphasizing the significance of mental health support and preventive measures within this specific population.
AB - Introduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the mounting workload and heightened stress may contribute to exacerbated mental health challenges, including an increased fear of COVID-19, among military personnel. Despite the potential influence of these factors, there remains a scarcity of studies addressing mental health issues, particularly the fear of COVID-19, within this specific population. We aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with fear of COVID-19 among military members. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2 and 9, 2021, during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Lambayeque region, Peru. The outcome variable was fear of COVID-19, assessed using the Fear of COVID-19 Scale. The association with resilience (Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, abbreviated as CD-RISC), food insecurity (Household Food Insecurity Access Scale, abbreviated as HFIAS), physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form, abbreviated as IPAQ-S), eating disorder (Eating Attitudes Test-26, abbreviated as EAT-26), and other socio- demographic variables was assessed. Results: Among the 525 participants, the median age was 22, 95.8% were male, and 19.2% experienced fear of COVID-19. A higher prevalence of fear of COVID-19 was associated with age (PR=1.03; 95% CI: 1.01-1.06), religion (PR=2.05; 95% CI: 1.04-4.05), eating disorder (PR=2.95; 95% CI: 1.99-4.36), and having a relative with mental disorder (PR=2.13; 95% CI: 1.09-4.17). Overweight (PR=0.58; 95% CI: 0.37-0.90) and a high level of resilience (PR=0.63; 95% CI: 0.43-0.93) were associated with a lower prevalence of fear of COVID-19. Discussion: Two out of ten military personnel were afraid of COVID-19. Our results highlight the need for targeted interventions addressing the factors contributing to fear of COVID-19 among military personnel, emphasizing the significance of mental health support and preventive measures within this specific population.
KW - COVID-19
KW - fear
KW - mental health
KW - military
KW - Peru
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85188699564&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1309957
DO - 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1309957
M3 - Artículo
AN - SCOPUS:85188699564
SN - 1664-0640
VL - 15
JO - Frontiers in Psychiatry
JF - Frontiers in Psychiatry
M1 - 1309957
ER -