Confirming The Validity And Reliability Of The Korean Language Fear Of COVID-19 Scale In The University Context

Abstract

Background: The widespread of the newly emerged infectious human disease labeled coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) has caused a prolonged public health crisis of pandemic proportions. The emergence and severe consequences of COVID-19 heightened anxieties and concerns. The Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) was developed recently to specifically measure the fear sensed by an individual about COVID-19. This study aimed to establish the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the Korean version of the FCV-19S (KF-COVID-19S) in the context of a Korean university. Methods: Data were collected from 402 university students enrolled in undergraduate degree programs at a private university in the central region of South Korea. The sample was randomly bifurcated to execute exploratory factor analysis (EFA, N = 201) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA, N = 201). Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficient was also applied to assess consistency. Results: Both the EFA and CFA supported a two-factor model: factor 1 (somatic symptoms) and factor 2 (emotional fear) were significantly correlated. Additionally, the two-factor model exhibited a superior fit to the data compared to the unidimensional and bifactor models. Cronbach’s alpha revealed acceptable internal consistency. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the Korean version of the FCV-19S can multidimensionally assess the severity of fear of COVID-19. However, we recommend using the single FCV-19S total score for practical purposes, given the high correlation among factors, the robust reliability of the total scale, and items implying a higher order factor of the fear sensed by individuals toward COVID-19.