Prevalence and predictive factors of ‘Fear of Missing Out’ among medical students during the Covid-19 pandemic

Abstract

Introduction: The indiscriminate use of social networks is closely related to social anxiety, including Fear of Missing Out (FoMO), an expression in English that means the “fear of being left out”. This phenomenon is defined as a lasting apprehension that others may be having rewarding experiences from which the user is absent, and FoMO can be intensified in specific situations, such as during the Covid-19 pandemic. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and predictive factors of Fear Of Missing Out among medical students from a federal public university in the Legal Amazon during the Covid-19 pandemic. Method: This is an analytical study, with a cross-sectional design and a quantitative approach. The data were obtained through an online questionnaire, made available to study participants through Google forms®, which addressed sociodemographic, economic, academic characteristics, lifestyle habits and health status. To assess FoMO, the Fear of Missing Out Scale was applied. For the statistical analysis, multivariate analysis was performed, and the crude and adjusted prevalence ratios (PR) and the 95% confidence interval (95%CI) were calculated, with the significance level of 5% (p<0.05) being adopted for the final adjusted model. Results: 185 students participated in the study, with 42.2% of respondents having FoMO during the Covid-19 pandemic. The predictive factors of FoMO included residing in student housing [PR 1.66 (95%CI 1.03 - 2.54); p = 0.037] and presence of symptoms of depression during the Covid-19 pandemic [PR 2.03 (95%CI 1.27 - 3.25); p = 0.003]. Conclusion: The prevalence of FoMO among medical students from the assessed institution was high, and sociodemographic factors and health status remained associated with the investigated outcome. These findings indicate the need to implement emotional support strategies and promote the health and well-being of medical students, contributing to a more holistic and healthy approach in the training of future medical professionals, especially in public universities.