Swiss university students’ risk perception and general anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic

Dratva, Julia; Zysset, Annina; Schlatter, Nadine; von Wyl, Agnes; Huber, Marion; Volken, Thomas

doi:10.3390/ijerph17207433

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-20636

Publication type:	Article in scientific journal
Type of review:	Peer review (publication)
Title:	Swiss university students’ risk perception and general anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors:	Dratva, Julia Zysset, Annina Schlatter, Nadine von Wyl, Agnes Huber, Marion Volken, Thomas
et. al:	No
DOI:	10.3390/ijerph17207433 10.21256/zhaw-20636
Published in:	International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Volume(Issue):	17
Issue:	20
Page(s):	7433
Issue Date:	2020
Publisher / Ed. Institution:	MDPI
ISSN:	1660-4601 1661-7827
Language:	English
Subjects:	Anxiety; COVID-19; GAD-7; Latent class analyses; University student; Young adult
Subject (DDC):	150: Psychology 610: Medicine and health
Abstract:	University students were confronted with abrupt changes to their daily lives by the COVID-19 lock-down. We investigated Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7 (GAD-7) and anxiety levels, and the association between perceived impact on well-being, studies, and daily lives and anxiety levels, adjusted for gender, age, social class and affiliation. Early in the lock-down all students of the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (N = 12,429) were invited to a voluntary longitudinal health survey. Participation rate was 20% (n = 2437): 70% females, median age 25 yrs. (IQR 23–28). A total of 10% reported a deterioration of well-being compared to pre-Corona. LCA yielded three classes varying in perceived COVID-19 impact: 1 (low, n = 675), 2 (moderate, n = 1098), and 3 (strong, n = 656). Adjusted proportion of moderate to severe anxiety by class were 45% (95% CI: 28.0–62.0), 15.5% (95% CI: 13.1–17.9), and 5.1% (95% CI: 4.7–5.6), respectively. Multivariate regression analyses yielded an OR for moderate to severe anxiety of 3.88 (95% CI: 2.5–6.0, class 2) and 22.43 (95% CI: 14.5–34.6, class 3) compared to class-1. The investigated association implies that containment measures have a selective effect on anxiety in students. The diversity of students’ perception and associated anxiety should be monitored and considered in future response to pandemics.
URI:	https://digitalcollection.zhaw.ch/handle/11475/20636
Fulltext version:	Published version
License (according to publishing contract):	CC BY 4.0: Attribution 4.0 International
Departement:	School of Health Sciences Applied Psychology
Organisational Unit:	Institute of Public Health (IPH) Psychological Institute (PI)
Published as part of the ZHAW project:	Gesundheit von Studierenden in Zeiten der Corona-Pandemie
Appears in collections:	Publikationen Gesundheit

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Dratva, J., Zysset, A., Schlatter, N., von Wyl, A., Huber, M., & Volken, T. (2020). Swiss university students’ risk perception and general anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(20), 7433. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17207433

Dratva, J. et al. (2020) ‘Swiss university students’ risk perception and general anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic’, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(20), p. 7433. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17207433.

J. Dratva, A. Zysset, N. Schlatter, A. von Wyl, M. Huber, and T. Volken, “Swiss university students’ risk perception and general anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic,” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 17, no. 20, p. 7433, 2020, doi: 10.3390/ijerph17207433.

DRATVA, Julia, Annina ZYSSET, Nadine SCHLATTER, Agnes VON WYL, Marion HUBER und Thomas VOLKEN, 2020. Swiss university students’ risk perception and general anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020. Bd. 17, Nr. 20, S. 7433. DOI 10.3390/ijerph17207433

Dratva, Julia, Annina Zysset, Nadine Schlatter, Agnes von Wyl, Marion Huber, and Thomas Volken. 2020. “Swiss University Students’ Risk Perception and General Anxiety during the COVID-19 Pandemic.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17 (20): 7433. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17207433.

Dratva, Julia, et al. “Swiss University Students’ Risk Perception and General Anxiety during the COVID-19 Pandemic.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 17, no. 20, 2020, p. 7433, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17207433.