Re-testing the psychometric properties of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19s)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about multi-faceted effects, including deleterious physical and mental health concerns. Fear of COVID-19 appears to result in varying mental and psychological symptoms among those in contact to patients with the disease. The study aimed to test the psychometric properties of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19s) in accurately measuring fear brought by the pandemic. One-hundred nineteen (119) hospital staff who were nurses currently working in private and/or public hospitals in Pampanga, who has had previous and/or current contact with COVID-19 patients, and are in optimal mental health state, were purposefully selected to participate in this study. Methodological research was employed to statistically test the psychometric properties of FCV-19s using exploratory factor analysis to test factor structure; Cronbach’s alpha to test internal reliability; and Pearson r with the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) to test concurrent validity. Statistical tests of the FCV-19s showed a single-factor structure, a Cronbach’s alpha score of 0.884, and a moderate correlation with DASS-21 (0.428). The present study was able to confirm the unidimensional construct, reliability, and concurrent validity of FCV-19s. Results contribute to the body of knowledge in terms of the accurate assessment of fear brought by the COVID-19.