RESEARCH PAPER
Assessment of the level of COVID-19 anxiety perceived by Internet users and factors affecting its increase at the first stage of pandemic in Poland
1
Katedra i Zakład Radiologii Lekarskiej i Radiodiagnostyki, Wydział Nauk Medycznych w Zabrzu, Śląski Uniwersytet Medyczny w Katowicach, Polska
Corresponding author
Monika Dagmara Kulig-Kulesza
Katedra i Zakład Radiologii Lekarskiej i Radiodiagnostyki, Wydział Nauk Medycznych w Zabrzu, Śląski Uniwersytet Medyczny w Katowicach, Polska, 3-go maja 13-15, 41-800, Zabrze, Polska
Katedra i Zakład Radiologii Lekarskiej i Radiodiagnostyki, Wydział Nauk Medycznych w Zabrzu, Śląski Uniwersytet Medyczny w Katowicach, Polska, 3-go maja 13-15, 41-800, Zabrze, Polska
Med Og Nauk Zdr. 2022;28(2):142-148
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Introduction and objective:
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the lives of people worldwide. The aim of the study was to find out whether at the first stage of pandemic in Poland there occurred differences in the level of anxiety caused by the COVID-19 pandemic between different social groups.
Material and methods:
The study included 499 respondents, conducted using the Google Forms package, based on which the authors constructed a questionnaire, subsequently distributed by social media. For the purpose of the study 8 questions were selected from the above-mentioned questionnaire, and the results statistically analyzed.
Results:
The study showed that females experienced greater anxiety of COVID-19 than males (p<0.001). Chronically ill respondents had a significantly higher level of anxiety due to COVID-19 than healthy individuals (p<0.001). Those who had the level of education lower than secondary school showed a lower level of anxiety than respondents with full secondary and higher education (p < 0.001). In addition, anxiety caused by the COVID-19 increased with respondents’ age (p = 0.014). It was also observed that respondents who obtained information about COVID-19 from the Internet and the media showed a higher level of anxiety towards COVID-19, compared to those who used information from the medical community and other sources. It was found that the respondents’ place of residence, the size of the city in which they live, and the fact of contracting COVID-19 by themselves or their significant others did not exert any significant impact on the level of anxiety of COVID-19.
Conclusions:
The pandemic and the resulting restrictions caused changes in the functioning of many people worldwide. The study demonstrated the presence of factors which correlated with a higher level of fear of developing COVID-19.
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the lives of people worldwide. The aim of the study was to find out whether at the first stage of pandemic in Poland there occurred differences in the level of anxiety caused by the COVID-19 pandemic between different social groups.
Material and methods:
The study included 499 respondents, conducted using the Google Forms package, based on which the authors constructed a questionnaire, subsequently distributed by social media. For the purpose of the study 8 questions were selected from the above-mentioned questionnaire, and the results statistically analyzed.
Results:
The study showed that females experienced greater anxiety of COVID-19 than males (p<0.001). Chronically ill respondents had a significantly higher level of anxiety due to COVID-19 than healthy individuals (p<0.001). Those who had the level of education lower than secondary school showed a lower level of anxiety than respondents with full secondary and higher education (p < 0.001). In addition, anxiety caused by the COVID-19 increased with respondents’ age (p = 0.014). It was also observed that respondents who obtained information about COVID-19 from the Internet and the media showed a higher level of anxiety towards COVID-19, compared to those who used information from the medical community and other sources. It was found that the respondents’ place of residence, the size of the city in which they live, and the fact of contracting COVID-19 by themselves or their significant others did not exert any significant impact on the level of anxiety of COVID-19.
Conclusions:
The pandemic and the resulting restrictions caused changes in the functioning of many people worldwide. The study demonstrated the presence of factors which correlated with a higher level of fear of developing COVID-19.
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