Prevalence and factors associated with fear of COVID-19 in military personnel during the second epidemic wave in Peru

Danai Valladares-Garrido; Helena Dominguez-Troncos; Cinthia Karina Picón-Reátegui; Christopher Valdiviezo-Morales; Víctor J Vera-Ponce; Virgilio E Failoc-Rojas; César Johan Pereira-Victorio; Darwin A León-Figueroa; Mario J Valladares-Garrido

doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1309957

Prevalence and factors associated with fear of COVID-19 in military personnel during the second epidemic wave in Peru

Front Psychiatry. 2024 Mar 7:15:1309957. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1309957. eCollection 2024.

Affiliations

¹ Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Cesar Vallejo, Trujillo, Peru.
² School of Medicine, Universidad Nacional de Piura, Piura, Peru.
³ Scientific Society of Medical Students from Universidad Nacional de Piura, Piura, Peru.
⁴ Facultad de Medicina Humana, Universidad de San Martín de Porres, Chiclayo, Peru.
⁵ Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru.
⁶ Instituto de Investigación de Enfermedades Tropicales, Universidad Nacional Toribio Rodríguez de Mendoza de Amazonas, Chachapoyas, Amazonas, Peru.
⁷ Universidad Tecnológica del Perú, Lima, Peru.
⁸ Research Unit for Generation and Synthesis Evidence in Health, Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola, Lima, Peru.
⁹ School of Medicine, Universidad Continental, Lima, Peru.
¹⁰ Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Cesar Vallejo, Piura, Peru.
¹¹ Oficina de Epidemiología, Hospital Regional Lambayeque, Chiclayo, Peru.

Abstract

Introduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the mounting workload and heightened stress may contribute to exacerbated mental health challenges, including an increased fear of COVID-19, among military personnel. Despite the potential influence of these factors, there remains a scarcity of studies addressing mental health issues, particularly the fear of COVID-19, within this specific population. We aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with fear of COVID-19 among military members.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2 and 9, 2021, during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Lambayeque region, Peru. The outcome variable was fear of COVID-19, assessed using the Fear of COVID-19 Scale. The association with resilience (Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, abbreviated as CD-RISC), food insecurity (Household Food Insecurity Access Scale, abbreviated as HFIAS), physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form, abbreviated as IPAQ-S), eating disorder (Eating Attitudes Test-26, abbreviated as EAT-26), and other socio- demographic variables was assessed.

Results: Among the 525 participants, the median age was 22, 95.8% were male, and 19.2% experienced fear of COVID-19. A higher prevalence of fear of COVID-19 was associated with age (PR=1.03; 95% CI: 1.01-1.06), religion (PR=2.05; 95% CI: 1.04-4.05), eating disorder (PR=2.95; 95% CI: 1.99-4.36), and having a relative with mental disorder (PR=2.13; 95% CI: 1.09-4.17). Overweight (PR=0.58; 95% CI: 0.37-0.90) and a high level of resilience (PR=0.63; 95% CI: 0.43-0.93) were associated with a lower prevalence of fear of COVID-19.

Discussion: Two out of ten military personnel were afraid of COVID-19. Our results highlight the need for targeted interventions addressing the factors contributing to fear of COVID-19 among military personnel, emphasizing the significance of mental health support and preventive measures within this specific population.

Keywords: COVID-19; Peru; fear; mental health; military.

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. MV-G was supported by the Fogarty International Center of the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) under Award Number D43TW009343 and the University of California Global Health Institute (UCGHI).