Cybulski Mateusz, Cwalina Urszula, Sadowska Dorota, Krajewska-Kułak Elżbieta
Department of Integrated Medical Care, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Białystok, M. Skłodowskiej-Curie 7A str., 15-096 Białystok, Poland.
Department of Medical Statistics and Health Informatics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Białystok, Szpitalna 37 str., 15-295 Białystok, Poland.
J Clin Med. 2021 Aug 27;10(17):3862. doi: 10.3390/jcm10173862.
Fear of infection with SARS-CoV-2 has become widespread. All over the world, since the very beginning of the pandemic, older adults have been considered one of the groups at highest risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and death due to COVID-19. The aim of the study was to evaluate the severity of anxiety symptoms related to COVID-19 in the older adults who are participants of the Universities of the Third Age in Poland.
The study included participants of the University of the Third Age in Poland. A total of 296 persons were enrolled, including 258 women and 38 men. The study was a diagnostic survey, conducted with the use of the following validated psychometric scales: General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Short Health Anxiety Inventory (SHAI), and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI).
In two scales (STAI and SHAI), the mean scores demonstrated mild symptoms indicative of anxiety disorders in the older respondents. Women and men did differ significantly in terms of the scores obtained in STAI X-1 and STAI X-2. Single respondents differed significantly from divorced ones in terms of STAI X-1 scores. Moreover, widows/widowers differed significantly from divorced ones in terms of STAI X-2, and GAD-7 scores. Respondents declaring their financial status as average differed significantly from those declaring their financial status as good in terms of: STAI X-1, STAI X-2, SHAI, and GAD-7 scores.
The subjective experience of anxiety symptoms associated with fear of contracting COVID-19 was increased due to the ongoing pandemic, but was not significantly high in the analysed population of older people. COVID-19-related anxiety was significantly more common in lonely individuals and in those of worse financial status. Women and men differed significantly in terms of perceived state anxiety and trait anxiety measured by STAI. More studies addressing COVID-19-related anxiety in older people participating in the Polish Universities of the Third Age are needed to determine a more accurate distribution of this phenomenon in Poland.
对感染严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2（SARS-CoV-2）的恐惧已广泛存在。自疫情伊始，在全球范围内，老年人就被视为感染SARS-CoV-2并因2019冠状病毒病（COVID-19）死亡风险最高的群体之一。本研究的目的是评估波兰第三年龄大学参与者中与COVID-19相关的焦虑症状的严重程度。
本研究纳入了波兰第三年龄大学的参与者。共招募了296人，其中包括258名女性和38名男性。该研究为诊断性调查，使用了以下经过验证的心理测量量表：广泛性焦虑障碍量表-7（GAD-7）、简短健康焦虑量表（SHAI）和状态-特质焦虑量表（STAI）。
在两个量表（STAI和SHAI）中，老年受访者的平均得分显示出表明焦虑症的轻度症状。女性和男性在STAI X-1和STAI X-2中获得的分数存在显著差异。单身受访者在STAI X-1分数方面与离婚受访者存在显著差异。此外，寡妇/鳏夫在STAI X-2和GAD-7分数方面与离婚受访者存在显著差异。在STAI X-1、STAI X-2、SHAI和GAD-7分数方面，宣称自己财务状况为中等的受访者与宣称财务状况良好的受访者存在显著差异。
由于疫情持续，与担心感染COVID-19相关的焦虑症状的主观体验有所增加，但在分析的老年人群体中并不显著高。与COVID-19相关的焦虑在孤独个体和财务状况较差的个体中明显更为常见。通过STAI测量，女性和男性在感知到的状态焦虑和特质焦虑方面存在显著差异。需要开展更多针对参与波兰第三年龄大学的老年人中与COVID-19相关焦虑的研究，以确定该现象在波兰更准确的分布情况。
