Validation of the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS) and its Divergence from COVID-19 Perceived Health-Related Issues in Iranian Students:A Short Report
COVID-19 Anxiety and Health
Keywords:
Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS), Health, COVID-19 Pandemic, University Students, IranAbstract
Introduction:Anxiety is one of the most common mental disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aims of the present study were to investigate the psychometric properties and to explore the factorial structure of the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS), to explore association of CAS scores with COVID-19 Perceived Health-Related Scale scores, and to examine sex differences.
Method: This was a cross- sectional study. A convenience sample of 241 students enrolled in a variety of courses at Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, in July 2021 was selected. The CAS and COVID-19 related health Scale were administered to students. The data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients and principal component analysis (PCA), using SPSS version 26. Results: Cronbach's α was 0.81 for the CAS. One factor was extracted labeled “Coronavirus Anxiety”. CAS scores correlated negatively (r= -.054) with COVID-19 Perceived Health-Related Scale scores. The men and women did not differ significantly in scores. Conclusion: The CAS had good psychometric properties in the present sample. This study provides evidence for the usefulness of the CAS for assessing COVID-19 anxiety in students and in non-clinical settings.References
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