Verification of psychometric properties of the Slovak version of the FCV-19S (Fear of COVID-19 Scale)

ABSTRACT

Objectives: Fear of the new coronavirus, as an emotional response to a pandemic situation that has plagued the world since early 2020, has many implications for the behaviour and psychological experiences of the population. To measure the fear of coronavirus a 7-item Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) was developed, now successfully used in more than 20 countries around the world. This study deals with the verification of psychometric characteristics of the Slovak version of FCV-19S, focusing on its factor structure, measurement invariance with respect to gender, reliability in terms of internal consistency, and convergent validity based on structural equation modeling (SEM) and based on the relationship to related constructs of anxiety, depression, and stress. Sample and settings Data were collected on-line (N=744;aged 17-78) during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic in Slovakia. Along with FCV-19S, World Health Organization-Five Well-Being Index, Perceived Stress Scale, and Coronavirus Anxiety Scale were administered to the respondents. Results: The results of the confirmatory factor analysis supported the two-factor structure of the instrument with two subscales, Emotional and Physiological Symptoms. The FCV-19S has proven to be a gender-invariant tool, so it can be used to compare fear experiences in men and women. The results further indicate good internal consistency and convergent validity of the Slovak version of the scale. Limitations: Measurement invariance of FCV-19S across age, education or ethnic groups was not tested in the present study. Stability of the scores over time was also not examined due to cross-sectional design. The study is limited by online data collection and convenience sampling method. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (Czech) Ciele Strach z noveho koronavirusu ako emocionalna reakcia na pandemicku situaciu, ktora suzuje svet uz od zaciatku roka 2020, ma mnoho suvislosti so spravanim a prezivanim obyvatelstva. Na jeho zaznamenavanie bola odbornikmi vyvinuta 7-polozkova skala Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S), ktora je uspesne vyuzivana vo viac ako dvadsiatich krajinach sveta. Tato studia sa venuje overeniu psychometrickych charakteristik slovenskej verzie FCV-19S, pricom sa zameriava na overenie jej faktorovej struktury, invariancie merania vzhladom na pohlavie, reliability v zmysle vnutornej konzistencie, konvergentnej validity v zmysle strukturalneho modelovania (SEM) a na zaklade vztahu s pribuznymi premennymi uzkostou, depresivitou a stresom. Vyskumny subor a metody Zber dat prebiehal online (N = 744;vek 17-78 rokov) pocas prebiehajucej pandemie koronavirusu na Slovensku. Okrem FCV-19S boli respondentom administrovane WHO-5 Index osobnej pohody, Skala vnimaneho stresu (PSS-10) a Skala uzkosti z koronavirusu (CAS). Vysledky Vysledky konfirmacnej faktorovej analyzy podporili dvojfaktorovu strukturu nastroja s dvomi subskalami Emocionalne a Fyziologicke symptomy. FCV-19S sa ukazal ako nastroj invariantny vzhladom na pohlavie, je ho preto mozne vyuzit na porovnanie prezivaneho strachu u muzov a zien. Vysledky dalej poukazuju na dobru vnutornu konzistenciu a konvergentnu validitu slovenskej verzie skaly. Limity V studii nebola overovana invariancia merania FCV-19S vzhladom na vek, vzdelanie a etnicitu. Vzhladom na prierezovy dizajn dalej nebola zistovana stabilita nastroja v case. Studia je tiez limitovana online zberom dat a prilezitostnym vyberom vyskumnej vzorky. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)