Assessing the Fear of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Patients with Undergoing Gastrointestinal Endoscopy: Online Cross-Sectional Survey

Abstract

Objective: This study was carried out to determine the level of COVID-19 pandemic fear and the contributing factors in patients undergoing gastrointestinal endoscopy. Material and Method: This study was conducted online using a descriptive and crosssectional approach. A Personal Information Form and the Fear of COVID-19 Scale were employed as measurement instruments. One day before the scheduled endoscopic surgery, the data collecting form was prepared on Google Forms and distributed to the patients over WhatsApp. Results: The study consisted of 155 patients. The mean age of the patients was 42.9±15.2, and 55.4% of them were female. The mean score of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale was 2.66±0.95. Also, 55.4% of the patients were very afraid of COVID-19, 91.6% were afraid of transmitting COVID-19 to their relatives. 35.5% of them reported they gave up going to the hospital for endoscopy procedure at least once due to fear of COVID-19 despite having symptoms that require endoscopy. The level of fear of COVID-19 was higher in patients who stated they were afraid of going to the hospital for the endoscopy procedure due to COVID-19 (p=0.000). Conclusion: One of the most important results of this study is that the fear induced by COVID-19 leads individuals to forgo medical treatments and necessary care procedures. This may cause delays in the early diagnosis, treatment, and care of diseases. It may be recommended to evaluate the patients' fear of COVID-19 and to carry out preventive and therapeutic practices related to fear.