TY - JOUR
T1 - Fear in general populations
T2 - A cross-sectional study on perceived fear of common diseases, COVID-19, life events, and environmental threats in 30 countries
AU - Li, Jiaying
AU - Pandian, Vinciya
AU - Fong, Daniel Yee Tak
AU - Lok, Kris Yuet Wan
AU - Wong, Janet Yuen Ha
AU - Ho, Mandy Man
AU - Choi, Edmond Pui Hang
AU - Davidson, Patricia M.
AU - Duan, Wenjie
AU - Tarrant, Marie
AU - Lee, Jung Jae
AU - Lin, Chia Chin
AU - Akingbade, Oluwadamilare
AU - Alabdulwahhab, Khalid M.
AU - Ahmad, Mohammad Shakil
AU - Alboraie, Mohamed
AU - Alzahrani, Meshari A.
AU - Bilimale, Anil S.
AU - Boonpatcharanon, Sawitree
AU - Byiringiro, Samuel
AU - Hasan, Muhammad Kamil Che
AU - Schettini, Luisa Clausi
AU - Corzo, Walter
AU - De Leon, Josephine M.
AU - De Leon, Anjanette S.
AU - Deek, Hiba
AU - Efficace, Fabio
AU - El Nayal, Mayssah A.
AU - El-Raey, Fathiya
AU - Ensaldo-Carrasco, Eduardo
AU - Escotorin, Pilar
AU - Fadodun, Oluwadamilola Agnes
AU - Fawole, Israel Opeyemi
AU - Goh, Yong Shian Shawn
AU - Irawan, Devi
AU - Khan, Naimah Ebrahim
AU - Koirala, Binu
AU - Krishna, Ashish
AU - Kwok, Cannas
AU - Le, Tung Thanh
AU - Leal, Daniela Giambruno
AU - Lezana-Fernández, Miguel Ángel
AU - Manirambona, Emery
AU - Mantoani, Leandro Cruz
AU - Meneses-González, Fernando
AU - Mohamed, Iman Elmahdi
AU - Mukeshimana, Madeleine
AU - Nguyen, Chinh Thi Minh
AU - Nguyen, Huong Thi Thanh
AU - Nguyen, Khanh Thi
AU - Nguyen, Son Truong
AU - Nurumal, Mohd Said
AU - Nzabonimana, Aimable
AU - Omer, Nagla Abdelrahim Mohamed Ahmed
AU - Ogungbe, Oluwabunmi
AU - Poon, Angela Chiu Yin
AU - Reséndiz-Rodriguez, Areli
AU - Puang-Ngern, Busayasachee
AU - Sagun, Ceryl G.
AU - Shaik, Riyaz Ahmed
AU - Shankar, Nikhil Gauri
AU - Sommer, Kathrin
AU - Toro, Edgardo
AU - Tran, Hanh Thi Hong
AU - Urgel, Elvira L.
AU - Uwiringiyimana, Emmanuel
AU - Vanichbuncha, Tita
AU - Youssef, Naglaa
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Author(s)
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - Background In this study, we assessed the general population’s fears towards various diseases and events, aiming to inform public health strategies that balance health-seeking behaviours. Methods We surveyed adults from 30 countries across all World Health Organization (WHO) regions between July 2020 and August 2021. Participants rated their fear of 11 factors on an 11-point Likert scale. We stratified the data by age and gender and examined variations across countries and regions through multidimensional preference analysis. Results Of the 16 512 adult participants, 62.7% (n = 10 351) were women. The most feared factor was the loss of family members, reported by 4232 participants (25.9%), followed by cancer (n = 2248, 13.7%) and stroke (n = 1416, 8.7%). The highest weighted fear scores were for loss of family members (mean (Formula presented.), standard deviation (SD) = 3.04), cancer (= 7.00, SD = 3.09), and stroke (Formula presented., SD = 3.24). The least feared factors included animals/insects (Formula presented., SD = 2.96), loss of a mobile phone (Formula presented., SD = 2.98), and social isolation (Formula presented., SD = 3.13). Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was the sixth most feared factor (Formula presented., SD = 2.92). Multidimensional preference analyses showed distinct fears of COVID-19 and job loss in Australia and Burundi. The other countries primarily feared loss of family members, cancer, stroke, and heart attacks; this ranking was consistent across WHO regions, economic levels, and COVID-19 severity levels. Conclusions Fear of family loss can improve public health messaging, highlighting the need for bereavement support and the prevention of early death-causing diseases. Addressing cancer fears is crucial to encouraging the use of preventive services. Fear of non-communicable diseases remains high during health emergencies. Top fears require more resources and countries with similar concerns should collaborate internationally for effective fear management.
AB - Background In this study, we assessed the general population’s fears towards various diseases and events, aiming to inform public health strategies that balance health-seeking behaviours. Methods We surveyed adults from 30 countries across all World Health Organization (WHO) regions between July 2020 and August 2021. Participants rated their fear of 11 factors on an 11-point Likert scale. We stratified the data by age and gender and examined variations across countries and regions through multidimensional preference analysis. Results Of the 16 512 adult participants, 62.7% (n = 10 351) were women. The most feared factor was the loss of family members, reported by 4232 participants (25.9%), followed by cancer (n = 2248, 13.7%) and stroke (n = 1416, 8.7%). The highest weighted fear scores were for loss of family members (mean (Formula presented.), standard deviation (SD) = 3.04), cancer (= 7.00, SD = 3.09), and stroke (Formula presented., SD = 3.24). The least feared factors included animals/insects (Formula presented., SD = 2.96), loss of a mobile phone (Formula presented., SD = 2.98), and social isolation (Formula presented., SD = 3.13). Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was the sixth most feared factor (Formula presented., SD = 2.92). Multidimensional preference analyses showed distinct fears of COVID-19 and job loss in Australia and Burundi. The other countries primarily feared loss of family members, cancer, stroke, and heart attacks; this ranking was consistent across WHO regions, economic levels, and COVID-19 severity levels. Conclusions Fear of family loss can improve public health messaging, highlighting the need for bereavement support and the prevention of early death-causing diseases. Addressing cancer fears is crucial to encouraging the use of preventive services. Fear of non-communicable diseases remains high during health emergencies. Top fears require more resources and countries with similar concerns should collaborate internationally for effective fear management.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85195438532&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.7189/JOGH.14.05019
DO - 10.7189/JOGH.14.05019
M3 - Article
C2 - 38843040
AN - SCOPUS:85195438532
SN - 2047-2978
VL - 14
JO - Journal of Global Health
JF - Journal of Global Health
M1 - 05019
ER -
