Table 1.
Participants’ characteristics and scores on the fear of COVID-19 scale (FCoV-19S).
| Variables | Total (n = 5423) |
FCoV-19S (n = 5423) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequency (%) | Mean ± SD | p * | |
| Age, year | <0.001 | ||
| 19–22 | 3162 (58.3) | 17.0 ± 5.3 | |
| 23–26 | 2261 (41.6) | 16.0 ± 5.1 | |
| Gender | <0.001 | ||
| Women | 2821 (52.0) | 17.0 ± 4.8 | |
| Men | 2602 (47.9) | 16.2 ± 5.6 | |
| Ability to pay for medication | <0.001 | ||
| Very or fairly difficult | 2496 (46.0) | 16.9 ± 5.3 | |
| Very or fairly easy | 2927 (53.9) | 16.4 ± 5.1 | |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 0.018 | ||
| Underweight (BMI < 18.5) | 945 (17.4) | 17.0 ± 4.8 | |
| Normal weight (18.5 ≤ BMI < 25.0) | 4034 (74.3) | 16.5 ± 5.3 | |
| Overweight/obese (BMI ≥ 25.0) | 444 (8.2) | 16.7 ± 5.5 | |
| Academic year | <0.001 | ||
| 1 | 1171 (21.5) | 17.0 ± 5.3 | |
| 2 | 773 (14.2) | 17.3 ± 5.5 | |
| 3 | 762 (14.0) | 17.2 ± 5.2 | |
| 4 | 738 (13.6) | 16.9 ± 5.2 | |
| 5 | 920 (16.9) | 15.9 ± 5.2 | |
| 6 | 1059 (19.5) | 15.8 ± 4.9 | |
| S-COVID-19-S ** | 0.186 | ||
| No | 4396 (81.0) | 16.6 ± 5.3 | |
| Yes | 1027 (18.9) | 16.8 ± 5.0 | |
| Comorbidity | 0.768 | ||
| None | 5180 (95.5) | 16.6 ± 5.2 | |
| One or more | 243 (4.5) | 16.5 ± 5.2 | |
| Eating behavior *** | 0.205 | ||
| Eat less healthy | 377 (7.0) | 16.9 ± 5.4 | |
| Unchanged or healthier | 5046 (93.0) | 16.6 ± 5.2 | |
| Smoking *** | <0.001 | ||
| Never, stopped, or smoke less | 5255 (96.9) | 16.5 ± 5.1 | |
| Unchanged or smoke more | 168 (3.1) | 19.4 ± 7.6 | |
| Drinking alcohol *** | 0.001 | ||
| Never, stopped, or drink less | 5048 (93.0) | 16.5 ± 5.1 | |
| Unchanged or drink more | 375 (6.9) | 17.5 ± 6.7 | |
| Physical activity *** | 0.599 | ||
| Never, stopped, or exercise less | 1728 (31.8) | 16.6 ± 5.4 | |
| Unchanged or exercise more | 3695 (68.1) | 16.6 ± 5.1 | |
| Anxiety | <0.001 | ||
| GAD < 8 | 5007 (92.3) | 16.4 ± 5.1 | |
| GAD ≥ 8 | 416 (7.7) | 19.3 ± 6.3 | |
| FCoV-19, mean ± SD | 16.7 ± 5.3 | ||
| HL index, mean ± SD | 34.7 ± 7.0 |
Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019; S-COVID-19-S, suspected coronavirus disease 2019 symptoms; FCoV-19S, fear of coronavirus disease 2019 scale; GAD, generalized anxiety disorder; SD, standard deviation; HL, health literacy. * Result of One-Way ANOVA test. ** Suspected COVID-19 symptoms including common symptoms (fever, cough, dyspnea), less common symptoms (myalgia, fatigue, sputum production, confusion, headache, sore throat, rhinorrhea, chest pain, hemoptysis, diarrhea, and nausea/vomiting). *** People were asked whether their lifestyles were worse, better, or unchanged during the COVID-19 pandemic as compared to those before the pandemic.