Evaluation of the internal structure of the coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS): A Factor analytic study

Abstract

Introduction: The Corona Virus Anxiety Scale (CAS) is a widely used tool with high diagnostic power in the field of corona anxiety diagnosis, but so far no research in Iran has examined the internal structure of this scale, so research in this field seems necessary. Method: The present study is a descriptive-analytical study that was conducted in 2021. The statistical population of this study was all adults living in Isfahan, of whom 409 (342 females and 67 males) responded to the Corona Anxiety Scale by available sampling method. According to the existing conditions, the scale was prepared online and published in cyberspace, and those who were interested completed the scale. In order to analyze the data, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and AMOS and SPSS software were used. Results: The results of exploratory analysis confirmed the single-factor nature of this scale. The results of confirmatory factor analysis showed that this scale has good construct validity and fit model. This scale also had a high internal consistency (Cronbach's affinity coefficient = 0.859) Conclusion: The Coronavirus Anxiety Scale has a good validity in the Iranian population and can be used to assess coronavirus anxiety in this population.