Coronavirus fear assessment using the modified COVID-19 fear scale among Indian dentists practicing in the Delhi NCR region

Abstract

Background: Recently, numerous surveys have been conducted amongst different communities to assess the fear of coronavirus diseases-2019 (COVID-19), using the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19) scale. Currently, there is a spot within the literature published regarding fear of COVID-19 amongst dentists, and hence, we conducted a questionnaire-based survey to assess the fear of COVID-19 amongst dentists practicing in India. Aim: Assessment of coronavirus fear amongst Indian dentists practicing in the Delhi NCR region using the modified FCV-19. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire was formulated using FCV-19S, which gathered the demographic data and fear in relation to COVID-19. Except for the seven-item FCV-19S, three questions were formulated for dentists particularly. The responses were recorded on a five-point Likert scale, starting from strongly disagree to strongly agree. Dentists residing in the Delhi NCR region and above 18 years old were included in the study. Results: A total of 202 responses were obtained, which were considered for the survey analysis. The results obtained after the compilation of the information were subjected to one-way analysis of variance test, and post-hoc Tukey Bonferroni tests were used for multiple comparisons. The study population comprised 65.8% of females and 34.2% of males, with approximately 68.3% belonging to the 18–30 years age group. The t-test for total fear and gender shows total fear score was 18.85 with standard deviation = 6.23. Conclusion: The study suggests that the population associated with healthcare showed lower levels of fear and anxiety than the general population. The fear of COVID-19 has reduced over a period of time due to the awareness of the disease and vaccination. Media plays a significant role in the psychological aspect of the person, irrespective of the profession, which leads to certain disturbances like lack of sleep. More than 50% of dentists agree that the use of precautionary protocols in our dental practice can reduce the risk of getting infected.