The relationship between fear of COVID-19, psychological well-being and life satisfaction in nursing students: A cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to examine the relationship between fear of COVID-19, psychological well-being, and satisfaction with life in nursing students. METHODS: A descriptive and cross-sectional design was used in this study. The study was carried out at a university Faculty of Health Sciences Department of Nursing between May 17 and June 25, 2021. The JASP 0.14.1. Software was used for statistical analysis. Kruskal-Wallis test was used for the comparison of three or more groups, Mann-Whitney U test was used for the comparisons of two groups, and Bonferroni-corrected Mann-Whitney U test was used for post hoc analysis. To determine the risk factors for "The Fear of COVID-19 Scale," linear regression analysis with backward stepwise modeling was used. RESULTS: The mean score of the students was 18.48±6.87 from the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, 38.42±12.60 from the Psychological Well-Being Scale, and 13.12±4.97 from the Satisfaction with Life Scale. According to the results of the regression model established, independent variables explained 12.5% of the dependent variables, but the regression model established was found to be statistically significant. A one-unit increase in the satisfaction with life scale increased the fear of COVID-19 scale score by 0.224 units, and this increase was found statistically significant (p = 0.030) as a result of linear regression analysis used with backward stepwise modeling. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, it was found that the students’ fear of COVID-19 was below the medium level, their psychological well-being was above the medium level, and that their life satisfaction was below the medium level.