Effect of COVID-19 anxiety on perceived risks and avoidance behaviors

ABSTRACT

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the perceptions of individuals concerning the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey and to try to slip out of this perception of the relationship between anxiety and avoidance behavior. Material and Methods: A snowball sampling method was used in this study. Data were collected through an online questionnaire between March 26 and April 1, 2020. A total of 834 persons were surveyed from 81 cities in Turkey. The demographic questions created by the researchers and a perception scale about COVID-19 were used. The data were analyzed with SPSS 25.0 statistical program. Results: Risk perception and anxiety levels of the participants during the COVID-19 pandemic were found to be statistically associated with gender, employment status, income level, general health insurance and the presence of chronic disease (p <0.05). The majority of the participants (83.3%) considered the disease fatal and 59.1% were anxious. The anxiety levels of the participants played a mediator role between perceived risks and avoidance behaviors. Participants' risk perception for the COVID-19 pandemic was 4.22 +/- 0.63, and their anxiety levels were above the average of 3.92 +/- 0.71. Discussion: The perceptions, beliefs, attitudes and psychological responses of communities with increased uncertainty and epidemic effects can act as a "vector" in the transmission of the disease.