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

• Main Authors: Mistry, Sabuj Kanti, Ali, A. R. M. Mehrab, Akther, Farhana, Yadav, Uday Narayan, Harris, Mark F.
• Format: Article
• Published: BMC 2021
• Subjects: RA Public aspects of medicine
• Online Access: http://eprints.um.edu.my/27892/
• Institution: Universiti Malaya

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.