The relationship between quality of life and fear of Turkish individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objective: In this study, it was aimed to determine the relationship between quality of life and the fear experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with a total of 1060 participants from Turkey's 65 provinces. The research data were collected through an online questionnaire consisting of three parts: Personal Information Form, The Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCS) and World Health Organization Life Quality ScaleShort Form (WHOQOL-BREF). Independent two-group t-test (Student's t-test), and one-way ANOVA test were used to compare the means of groups. The Pearson Correlation Coefficient was calculated to determine the level of correlation between two independent continuous variables. A value of p < .05 was accepted as the threshold for statistical significance. Results: The fear levels of women, married individuals and primary school graduates were found to be high, while quality of life was low among participants with poor economic status, those with COVID-19 symptoms and subjects who had been in close contact with a COVID-19-positive patient. In addition, there was an inverse relationship between the level of fear related to COVID-19 and quality of life (physical and psychological health). Practice implications: Nurses are recommended to develop new care and evaluation strategies that will cover psychosocial and economic areas, as well as physical health, in order to protect and maintain the well-being of individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic.