Epidemiology and Health

COVID-19: Original Article

Does having various types of fear related to COVID-19 disrupt individuals’ daily life?: Findings from a nationwide survey in Korea: Woorim Kim, Yeong Jun Ju, Soon Young Lee; Epidemiol Health. 2022;44:e2022004. Published online January 3, 2022; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2022004

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Abstract

OBJECTIVES
Unexpected changes in daily routines caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may affect psychological health. This study investigated the association between various types of COVID-19-related fear and the subjective level of disturbance in daily activities experienced by individuals.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study used the Korea Community Health Survey conducted from August through November 2020. COVID-19-related fear included fear of infection, death, public criticism, family members getting infected, and economic loss. The subjective level of disruption in daily activities was measured using a 0-100 numeric rating scale developed by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. Multivariable linear regression was used to analyze the associations between the independent and dependent variables. A subgroup analysis was performed based on income level.

RESULTS

Participants who reported fear of infection (β=-3.37, p<0.001), death (β=-0.33, p=0.030), public criticism (β=-1.63, p<0.001), a family member getting infected (β=-1.03, p<0.001), and economic loss (β=-3.52, p<0.001) experienced more disturbances in daily activities. The magnitude of this association was most significant in the lowest-income group.

CONCLUSIONS

Individuals reporting COVID-19-related fear experienced higher levels of subjective disruption in daily activities.

Summary

Korean summary
이 연구는 COVID-19 팬데믹과 관련된 심리적염려가 일상생활 활동에 부정적인 영향을 줄 수 있음을 관찰하였다. COVID-19 감염으로 인한 감염, 사망, 대중의 비판, 가족 중 건강취약자의 감염, 경제적 손실에 대해 염려하는 사람은 그렇지 않은 사람에 비해 일상생활에 더 부정적인 영향을 받고 있는 것으로 관찰되었다. 특히 다양한 유형의 감염염려를 동시에 경험하고 있을수록 일상생활 지장 정도가 더 증가하는 경향이 관찰되었으며 소득수준이 낮을수록 부정적인 영향정도가 더 두드러졌다.

Key Message
Our results revealed that fear related to the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with increased levels of subjective disruptions in daily activities. Compared to individuals without fear, those with fears of COVID-19 infection, dying from infection, public criticism, a family member getting infected, and economic loss reported higher levels of disruption in daily activities. Those who reported fear of COVID-19 infection and economic loss due to infection had particularly higher levels of disturbances. Considering the various types of fear concurrently, the level of disruption experienced tended to increase with the number of reported fears.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Is fear of COVID-19 higher in individuals residing in more deprived areas? A nationwide study
Woorim Kim, Soon Young Lee, Yeong Jun Ju
Journal of Public Health.2023; 45(2): 402. CrossRef
Association Between Changes in Family Life Due to COVID-19 and Depressive Mood and Stress Perception
Min-Su Kim, Mi Ah Han, Jong Park, So Yeon Ryu
Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health.2023; 35(1): 14. CrossRef
Public perception of the appropriateness of COVID-19 management strategies and level of disturbances in daily activities: A focus on educational level
Yeong Jun Ju, Woorim Kim, Soon Young Lee, Jordi Gumà
PLOS ONE.2023; 18(6): e0287143. CrossRef

COVID-19: Original Article

The effects of information-seeking behaviours on prevention behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic: the mediating effects of anxiety and fear in Korea: Kwanghyun Kim, Jisu Yang, Ye Jin Jeon, Yu Jin Lee, Youngrong Lee, Hyeon Chang Kim, Karestan Koenen, Yong-Chan Kim, Sun Jae Jung; Epidemiol Health. 2021;43:e2021085. Published online October 19, 2021; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2021085

9,365 View
198 Download
6 Web of Science
6 Crossref

Abstract Summary PDF Supplementary Material

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
Identifying determinants of prevention behaviours during the emergence of a new infectious disease is important. We investigated the associations between information-seeking and prevention behaviours during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and mediating effects of psychiatric factors.

METHODS

In total, 1,970 participants from the Cardiovascular and Metabolic Etiology Research Center cohort participated in an online survey 55 days after the first COVID-19 case in Korea was diagnosed. Time spent seeking information related to COVID-19; information sources; psychiatric factors, including anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), and the fear of COVID-19; and prevention behaviours were examined. The mediating effect of psychiatric factors was estimated using mediation analysis.

RESULTS

Time spent seeking information and information sources affected several behavioural responses. In men, anxiety mediated associations between information-seeking and prevention behaviours, including purchasing sanitary supplies (effect size [ES], 0.038; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.002 to 0.095) and hoarding (ES, 0.029; 95% CI, 0.002 to 0.068). The fear of COVID-19 also mediated associations between information-seeking and prevention behaviours including refraining from going out (men: ES, 0.034; 95% CI, 0.009 to 0.068; women: ES, 0.052; 95% CI, 0.030 to 0.080), wearing face masks (men: ES, 0.085; 95% CI, 0.031 to 0.184), avoiding public transportation (men: ES, 0.020; 95% CI, 0.000 to 0.044; women: ES, 0.031; 95% CI, 0.015 to 0.051), hoarding (women: ES, 0.051; 95% CI, 0.029 to 0.792), and trying alternative remedies (men: ES, 0.024; 95% CI, 0.004 to 0.053). Depressive symptoms and PTSS did not have any mediating effects.

CONCLUSIONS

While the availability of information related to COVID-19 can help prevent infections, it can also promote anxiety and fear, leading to negative behaviours such as hoarding and trying unverified alternative treatments.

Summary

Korean summary
-본 연구는 한국인에서 코로나-19 관련 정보탐색이 예방 행동과 상관관계가 있는지를 확인하고 불안, 공포, 우울을 비롯한 심리 상태가 이 상관관계를 매개하는 메커니즘으로 작용하는지를 확인하고자 하였다. - 본 코호트 연구에서 정보 탐색 시간이 길어질수록 예방 행동을 취하는 빈도가 증가하였으며 불안 및 코로나-19에 대한 공포가 이 둘 사이의 상관관계를 일부 매개하였다. - 정보탐색이 증가할수록 외출 자제, 마스크 착용, 대중교통 이용 자제와 같은 권장되는 예방 행동을 취할 가능성도 증가하였지만 사재기를 하거나 검증되지 않은 대체요법에 의지하는 등 권장되지 않는 예방 행동을 취할 가능성 또한 같이 증가하였다.

Key Message
In this study, we tried to test the association between information-seeking behavior and preventive measures during COVID-19 pandemic. We also tried to understand whether psychologic factors such as anxiety, fear against COVID-19 and depression mediate the association. We found that time used for searching COVID-19-related information is positively associated with preventive behaviors, and that anxiety and fear mediate the association. Information seeking increased the probability of utilizing recommended prevention strategy such as wearing facial masks and refraining from going out, but also promoted prevention behavior not recommended by government officials such as hoarding and trying alternative remedies.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Protective behaviors against COVID-19 and their association with psychological factors in China and South Korea during the Omicron wave: a comparative study
J. Deng, M. Lee, C. Qin, Y. Lee, M. You, J. Liu
Public Health.2024; 229: 116. CrossRef
Coronavirus disease 2019 information-seeking behavior globally: a systematic review
Tadele Fentabil Anagaw, Habtamu Alganeh Guadie
SAGE Open Medicine.2023; 11: 205031212311535. CrossRef
“It Bothered Me”: The Mental Burden of COVID-19 Media Reports on Community-Dwelling Elderly People
Natasa Maksimovic, Tatjana Gazibara, Jelena Dotlic, Marija Milic, Vida Jeremic Stojkovic, Smiljana Cvjetkovic, Gordana Markovic
Medicina.2023; 59(11): 2011. CrossRef
Assessing Knowledge, Preventive Practices, and Depression Among Chinese International Students and Local Korean Students in South Korea During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Online Cross-Sectional Study
Xiaoxu Jiang, Bo Zhao, Eun Woo Nam, Fanlei Kong
Frontiers in Psychiatry.2022;[Epub] CrossRef
Association between fear of COVID-19 and hoarding behavior during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic: The mediating role of mental health status
Ye Zhao, Yang Yu, Ruofan Zhao, Yiming Cai, Shuai Gao, Ye Liu, Sheng Wang, Huifeng Zhang, Haiying Chen, Youdong Li, Haishui Shi
Frontiers in Psychology.2022;[Epub] CrossRef
Fear of COVID-19 and Prevention Behaviors: Cross-Lagged Panel Analysis
Katherine M Anderson, Jamila K Stockman
JMIR Formative Research.2022; 6(11): e35730. CrossRef

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