Year: 2023 | Month: December | Volume: 13 | Issue: 12 | Pages: 19-26
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijhsr.20231203
Fear of COVID-19 among Physiotherapists and Physiotherapy Students of Western India: An Online Survey
Dr. Aparna Bachkaniwala1, Dr. Vivek Ramanandi2
1,2SPB Physiotherapy College, Veer Narmad South Gujarat University, Surat, India
Corresponding Author: Dr. Vivek Ramanandi
ABSTRACT
Background: COVID-19 has been a major turning point in human history affecting human beings in all aspects of life. Being directly and indirectly involved in management and rehabilitation of COVID-19 infected patients, it is imperative to study physiotherapists’ mental health issues. This study aims to evaluate fear of COVID-19 in physiotherapy professionals and students of Gujarat state from western region of India.
Methodology: An online cross-sectional survey including physiotherapists and physiotherapy students across Gujarat, using Google form platform including demographic and fear of COVID-19 questionnaire details was sent through various electronic media platforms and responses from 228 participants was received. Mean (SD) and frequency (%) for participants’ characteristics; and independent t-tests and ANOVA for the mean differences in the FCoV-19S scores were used.
Results: Significant differences for fear scores were seen in different age groups and different geographical regions for participants (p <0.001). 32.01%, 28.95%, 24.12%, 42.11%, 39.92%, 19.74%, and 22.37% participants agreed to be afraid, uncomfortable, feeling clamminess, fearful of losing life, being nervous or anxious, and experienced sleeplessness and palpitation due to COVID-19.
Conclusion: Though significant amount of fear was not reported among physiotherapy professionals and students of Gujarat, having better health literacy and greater social connectivity along with better implementation of strategic public health interventions can help reducing fear and promotion of mental health among physiotherapy professionals and students.
Key words: COVID-19, fear, mental Health, pandemic, physiotherapy.