Psychometric evaluation of fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) among Chinese primary and middle schoolteachers, and their students

Abstract

Utilizing a large-scale cross-sectional survey, the present study tested the advanced psychometric properties of Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) in specific populations (i.e., primary and middle schoolteachers, and their students). The present study also examined the association between perceived fear of COVID-19 and psychological distress among home-room teachers (i.e., teachers who teach all their students in one classroom all day) and their students. The results among participants (11,134 teachers and 4,335 students) indicated good internal reliability of FCV-19S and excellent factorial validity with a two-factor structure utilizing these specific populations. Furthermore, the multilevel analysis showed that home-room teachers’ psychological distress, but not fear of COVID-19, was positively associated with their students. In sum, the FCV-19S is a useful tool to assess the fear of COVID-19 on potentially vulnerable populations (i.e., primary/middle schoolteachers and their students). Future studies are encouraged to use the present study’s findings to investigate possible underlying mechanisms for developing effective coping strategies and interventions. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-021-02471-3.

Fear of COVID-19 Among College Students: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…Based on this, Ahorsu et al developed the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) which was a brief and valid instrument to detect an individual's fear of COVID-19 (16). The FCV-19S has been validated in several countries and translated into multiple languages that include English, Italian, Bangla, Turkish, Vietnamese, Japanese, Spanish, Russian, and Chinese (13,(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26). The FCV-19S is a questionnaire consisted of seven items.…”

A Network Analysis of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S): A Large-Scale Cross-Cultural Study in Iran, Bangladesh, and Norway

“…They developed and validated the seven-item Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) to assess the fear of COVID-19. Currently, there are over 20 language versions of the FCV-19S and much evidence has been reported regarding its psychometric properties [ 26 , 41 , 42 ]. More specifically, this includes primary psychometric testing methods that assess the validity of FCV-19S, such as exploratory factor analyses (EFA), confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) [ 42 ], Rasch analysis, and the item response theory analysis [ 26 , 43 ].…”

“…Some evidence instead suggests a two-factor solution, including a psychosocial (or psychological) factor (Items 1, 2, 4, 5) and a physical (or physiological) factor (Items 3, 6, 7) [ 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 ]. Other evidence suggests a bifactor model (i.e., having a general factor of fear and two specific factors of physical and psychosocial fear) [ 41 , 54 , 55 , 56 ]. In brief, the FCV-19S has robust psychometric properties, but the relationships among the seven items remain unclear.…”

Effectiveness of using calligraphic activity to treat people with schizophrenia: a randomized controlled trial in Southern Taiwan

“…First, part of the current study period overlapped with the COVID-19 pandemic. Given that COVID-19 pandemic increased psychological distress across different populations, including people with schizophrenia, 31 – 41 the nonsignificant findings on emotions in the present study may relate in part to the COVID-19 pandemic. Indeed, our GEE model suggested a trend improvement in emotional concerns at follow-up compared with baseline measures, although improvement effects were similar between groups receiving the calligraphy activity and TAU.…”

“…More specifically, the effects of the pandemic on psychological health have been widely documented. 31 – 41 Therefore, it is possible that the nonsignificant findings in improvement in emotional concerns are confounded by the impacts of the pandemic. Indeed, our RCT showed a trend of improvement in emotional concerns among participants who received calligraphy activity and completed assessments before the COVID-19 outbreak.…”