COVID-19-Related Worries and Fears Scale (CoV-WoFe)

Abstract

The COVID-19-Related Worries and Fears Scale (CoV-WoFe; Cuadrado et al., 2023) is a 6-item instrument designed to quantify worries and fears associated with COVID-19. Its development involved adapting an initial pool of 8 items from the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S; Ahorsu et al., 2020) and incorporating elements from the danger and contamination fear factors of the COVID Stress Scales (CSS; Taylor et al., 2020). The original English items were translated and adapted into Spanish. The scale specifically aims to assess individuals’ concerns about contracting the virus, their perceived health implications from COVID-19, and the intensity of their fear of acquiring COVID-19, evidenced by uncontrollable physiological symptoms of fear and anxiety. The CoV-WoFe was administered online to residents in Spain. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a bifactorial structure. Further studies reported findings concerning measurement invariance, reliability, and validity.

Keywords

COVID-19 Perceptions; COVID-19-Related Fears; COVID-19-Related Worries; Health Consequences; Physiological Symptoms

Authors

Cuadrado, Esther; Arenas, Alicia; Moyano, Manuel; La Gamma, Martina

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Purpose

The primary purpose of the COVID-19-Related Worries and Fears Scale (CoV-WoFe) is to comprehensively assess individuals’ worries and fears specifically related to the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes concerns about contracting the virus, the perceived health implications of COVID-19, and the presence of physiological symptoms associated with fear and anxiety regarding the virus.

Validity

Construct Validity: The CoV-WoFe demonstrates strong construct validity, as evidenced by its consistent and logical relationships with other variables within its nomological network. These variables include direct personal experience with COVID-19, personal values emphasizing security, the intention to adopt protective behaviors against COVID-19, actual protective behaviors, and anxiety levels. This supports the external validity of the CoV-WoFe. Furthermore, construct validity was reinforced by the observed serial mediating role of both CoV-WoFe dimensions (Worry about the health consequences of COVID-19 and Fear of COVID-19) in the relationship between security values and protective behaviors against COVID-19, as well as with anxiety. Expected gender differences in CoV-WoFe scores also contributed to the evidence of its construct validity.

Reliability

Internal Consistency: The CoV-WoFe exhibits a high level of internal consistency. The overall scale (CoV-WoFe) showed a reliability coefficient of α = .86. Both of its expected factors also demonstrated high reliability: Worry about the health consequences of COVID-19 (CoV-Wo) with α = .86, and Fear of COVID-19 (CoV-Fe) with α = 0.85. After the removal of items 2 and 3, the reliability remained high for the CoV-WoFe (α = 0.85) and for the CoV-Wo (α = 0.81). No data is Available for other types of reliability.

Factor Analysis

Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA): An initial EFA led to the removal of items 2 and 3 due to their poor correlation with the items of the second expected factor of the scale. Following this adjustment, the EFA revealed the two expected factors with a balanced factorial structure, collectively explaining 77.99% of the total variance.

Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA): A bidimensional model, derived from the EFA, was subsequently tested using CFA in two distinct samples. The CFA results demonstrated good to excellent fit indices for both samples:

• Sample 1: x2(df= 6) = 8.240, p = 0.221; RMSEA (95% Cl) = .035 [.001, .088]; CFI = 0.998; GFI = 0.994; TLI = 0.994.

• Sample 2: x2(df= 6) = 15.014, p = .020; RMSEA (95% Cl) = .068 [.025, .112]; CFI = 0.991; GFI = 0.986; TLI = 0.977.

Measurement Invariance: Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to assess measurement invariance between genders. The results indicated both metric and scalar invariance between men and women, confirming that the bi-factorial scale is invariant across gender and is valid for use with both male and female populations.

Instrument: COVID-19-Related Worries and Fears Scale (CoV-WoFe)

Test Type: Original Instrument/Inventory/Questionnaire

Format: The CoV-WoFe consists of items rated on a seven-point Likert scale, where ‘1’ represents “Strongly disagree” and ‘7’ represents “Totally agree.” The administration method is electronic.

Language Available: Spanish. Language Present: English; Spanish.

Population Group: Human; Male; Female

Age Group: Adulthood (18 yrs & older), including Young Adulthood (18-29 yrs), Thirties (30-39 yrs), Middle Age (40-64 yrs), Aged (65 yrs & older), and Very Old (85 yrs & older).

Population Details: The study population consisted of Spanish residents.

Test Methodology: The development and validation of the CoV-WoFe involved several rigorous psychometric analyses, including Test Validity, Construct Validity, Test Reliability, Internal Consistency, Factor Analysis (both Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Exploratory Factor Analysis), and Measurement Invariance.

Keywords

COVID-19-Related Fears; COVID-19-Related Worries

Authors

Cuadrado, Esther

• Affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Cordoba

• Email address: [email protected]

• Correspondence Address: [email protected]

• Author ORCID Identifier: No data is Available

Arenas, Alicia

• Affiliation: Maimonides Biomedical Research Institute of Cordoba (IMIBIC)

• Email address: No data is Available

• Author ORCID Identifier: No data is Available

Moyano, Manuel

• Affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Cordoba

• Email address: No data is Available

• Author ORCID Identifier: No data is Available

La Gamma, Martina

• Affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Florence

• Email address: No data is Available

• Author ORCID Identifier: No data is Available

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Permissions: May use for Research/Teaching.
Commercial Use: No
Fee: No
Test Year: 2023
Web Site: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en

References

Cuadrado, E., Arenas, A., Moyano, M., & La Gamma, M. (2023). Development and validation of the COVID-19 Worries and Fears Scale. International Journal of Public Health, 67, Article 1604600. https://doi.org/10.3389/ijph.2022.1604600

Items of the COVID-19-Related Worries and Fears Scale (CoV-WoFe)

This measure consists of 6 items. The items of the CoV-WoFe are available at 2023-41304-001, Supplemental Material.

Factors and Subscales:

• Worry about the health consequences of COVID-19 (CoV-Wo)

• Fear of COVID-19 (CoV-Fe)

Note: CSS = COVID Stress Scale; FC-19S = Fear of COVID-19S
*Item eliminated from the final scale