Anxiety Mood.  2022 Oct;18(2):92-100. 10.24986/anxmod.2022.18.2.007.

The Association Among the Fear of COVID-19, Depression, Risk Perception, Health Belief, and Preventive Health Behaviors Related to COVID-19 Among University Students in Jeonbuk Region

• Kim HR
• Kwon JH
• Park JI
• Chung S

• KMID: 2534834
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.24986/anxmod.2022.18.2.007

Abstract

Objective
: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association among the fear of COVID-19, depression, risk perception, health belief, and preventive health behaviors related to COVID-19 among university students in Jeonbuk region.
Methods
: A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire survey. The questionnaire included The Korean Version of Fear of COVID-19 Scale, the Korean Version of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and measurement tools adapted from previous studies for risk perception, health belief, and preventive health behaviors of subjects. We analyzed data using Pearson’s correlation analysis, confirmatory factor analy-sis, and path analysis using SPSS 22 and AMOS 21.
Results
: The fear of COVID-19 showed significant positive influence on health belief as well as risk perception. Depression had a significant negative impact on preventive health behaviors and risk perception. Health belief showed a significant positive impact on preventive health behavior.
Conclusion
: Rresults revealed that the higher the level of depression was, the lower risk perception and performance of preventive health behavior were among university students in Jeonbuk region. As the level of the fear of COVID-19 became higher, the level of health belief and risk perception became higher. The higher the level of health belief was, the higher the performance level of preventive health were. Thus, it is prudent to increase the level of health belief, and lower the level of depression, in promoting preventive health behavior.

Keyword

COVID-19; the fear of COVID-19; Depression; Risk perception; Health belief; Preventive health behavior