TY - JOUR
T1 - Fear of contagion, emotional stress and coping strategies used by adults during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria
AU - Folayan, Morenike Oluwatoyin
AU - Ibigbami, Olanrewaju
AU - Brown, Brandon
AU - El Tantawi, Maha
AU - Aly, Nourhan M
AU - Zuñiga, Roberto Ariel Abeldaño
AU - Abeldaño, Giuliana Florencia
AU - Ara, Eshrat
AU - Ellakany, Passent
AU - Gaffar, Balgis
AU - Al-Khanati, Nuraldeen Maher
AU - Idigbe, Ifeoma
AU - Ishabiyi, Anthonia Omotola
AU - Jafer, Mohammed
AU - Khan, Abeedha Tu-Allah
AU - Khalid, Zumama
AU - Lawal, Folake Barakat
AU - Lusher, Joanne
AU - Nzimande, Ntombifuthi P
AU - Popoola, Bamidele Olubukola
AU - Quadri, Mir Faeq Ali
AU - Roque, Mark
AU - Okeibunor, Joseph Chukwudi
AU - Nguyen, Annie Lu
N1 - © 2022. The Author(s).
PY - 2022/11/24
Y1 - 2022/11/24
N2 - BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has induced high levels of stress. The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between emotional stress (COVID-19 related fear, anger, frustration, and loneliness) and the use of coping strategies among adults in Nigeria during the COVID-19 pandemic.METHODS: Data from adults aged 18 years and above were collected through an online survey from July to December 2020. The dependent variables were COVID-19 related fear (fear of infection and infecting others with COVID-19), anger, frustration, and loneliness. The independent variables were coping strategies (use of phones to communicate with family and others, video conferencing, indoor exercises, outdoor exercises, meditation/mindfulness practices, engaging in creative activities, learning a new skill, following media coverage related to COVID-19) and alcohol consumption. Five logistic regression models were developed to identify the factors associated with each dependent variables. All models were adjusted for sociodemographic variables (age, sex at birth, and the highest level of education).RESULTS: Respondents who consumed alcohol, followed media coverage for COVID-19 related information, and who spoke with friends or family on the phone had higher odds of having fear of contracting COVID-19 or transmitting infection to others, and of feeling angry, frustrated, or lonely (p < 0.05). Respondents who exercised outdoors (AOR: 0.69) or learned a new skill (AOR: 0.79) had significantly lower odds of having fear of contracting COVID-19. Respondents who practiced meditation or mindfulness (AOR: 1.47) had significantly higher odds of feeling angry. Those who spoke with friends and family on the phone (AOR: 1.32) and exercised indoors (AOR: 1.23) had significantly higher odds of feeling frustrated. Those who did video conferencing (AOR: 1.41), exercised outdoors (AOR: 1.32) and engaged with creative activities (AOR: 1.25) had higher odds of feeling lonely.CONCLUSION: Despite the significant association between emotional stress and use of coping strategies among adults in Nigeria during the COVID-19 pandemic, it appears that coping strategies were used to ameliorate rather than prevent emotional stress. Learning new skills and exercising outdoors were used to ameliorate the fear of contracting COVID-19 in older respondents.
AB - BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has induced high levels of stress. The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between emotional stress (COVID-19 related fear, anger, frustration, and loneliness) and the use of coping strategies among adults in Nigeria during the COVID-19 pandemic.METHODS: Data from adults aged 18 years and above were collected through an online survey from July to December 2020. The dependent variables were COVID-19 related fear (fear of infection and infecting others with COVID-19), anger, frustration, and loneliness. The independent variables were coping strategies (use of phones to communicate with family and others, video conferencing, indoor exercises, outdoor exercises, meditation/mindfulness practices, engaging in creative activities, learning a new skill, following media coverage related to COVID-19) and alcohol consumption. Five logistic regression models were developed to identify the factors associated with each dependent variables. All models were adjusted for sociodemographic variables (age, sex at birth, and the highest level of education).RESULTS: Respondents who consumed alcohol, followed media coverage for COVID-19 related information, and who spoke with friends or family on the phone had higher odds of having fear of contracting COVID-19 or transmitting infection to others, and of feeling angry, frustrated, or lonely (p < 0.05). Respondents who exercised outdoors (AOR: 0.69) or learned a new skill (AOR: 0.79) had significantly lower odds of having fear of contracting COVID-19. Respondents who practiced meditation or mindfulness (AOR: 1.47) had significantly higher odds of feeling angry. Those who spoke with friends and family on the phone (AOR: 1.32) and exercised indoors (AOR: 1.23) had significantly higher odds of feeling frustrated. Those who did video conferencing (AOR: 1.41), exercised outdoors (AOR: 1.32) and engaged with creative activities (AOR: 1.25) had higher odds of feeling lonely.CONCLUSION: Despite the significant association between emotional stress and use of coping strategies among adults in Nigeria during the COVID-19 pandemic, it appears that coping strategies were used to ameliorate rather than prevent emotional stress. Learning new skills and exercising outdoors were used to ameliorate the fear of contracting COVID-19 in older respondents.
KW - Adult
KW - Infant, Newborn
KW - Humans
KW - Aged
KW - Nigeria/epidemiology
KW - COVID-19
KW - Pandemics
KW - Cross-Sectional Studies
KW - Adaptation, Psychological
KW - Psychological Distress
KW - Fear/psychology
U2 - 10.1186/s12888-022-04360-w
DO - 10.1186/s12888-022-04360-w
M3 - Article
C2 - 36424567
SN - 1471-244X
VL - 22
JO - BMC Psychiatry
JF - BMC Psychiatry
IS - 1
M1 - 732
ER -