Psychometric Verification of the Endemic Disease Phobia Scale Among a Sample of University Students in the Jordan Society

Abstract

The study aimed to psychometrically validate a scale for measuring endemic disease phobia among a sample of students from Al al-Bayt University in Jordan. The study sample consisted of randomly selected 251 male and female students from Al al-Bayt University in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The scale used was the Endemic Disease phobia scale developed by Arpaci et al. (2020). Its validity was assessed through confirmatory factor analysis on the four factors, and the scale demonstrated good validity and reliability, indicating its potential use in clinical screening of students. The study found significant differences in the impact of demographic variables on Omicron phobia, with serum type and frequency of obtaining it being factors that influenced Omicron phobia. The study recommends developing specialized programs that focus on guidance, prevention, and treatment for individuals who are experiencing long-term effects of COVID-19 pandemic phobia. The study also recommends using the current scale, likely referring to a measurement tool or assessment instrument used in the study, for both research and diagnostic purposes.