Fear of COVID-19: A Comparative Study Among University Students in Peru

The COVID-19 pandemic severely affected university students' mental health. The objective of this study was to evaluate the level of fear associated with COVID-19 in university students from the Coast, Sierra, and the Jungle regions of Peru between April and May 2020. The sample consisted of 915 university students from the three regions of Peru. The Fear of COVID-19 Scale was used to assess fear and its dimensions (psychological and somatic symptoms). Data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey's post hoc test to compare group means. Additionally, multiple linear regression analysis was used to identify significant predictors of fear. Results showed a moderate overall level of fear, with significant differences by sex and geographic region. Women reported significantly higher levels of fear than men (p < 0.001), suggesting a disproportionate psychological impact on this group. Furthermore, students from the Coast reported significantly higher levels of psychological symptoms of fear compared to those from the Sierra and Jungle regions (p < 0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis identified sex, region, and field of study as significant predictors of fear (p < 0.05). These findings confirm that fear of COVID-19 had a prominent and differentiated psychological impact on the Peruvian university population. These results underscore the need to implement targeted intervention strategies and mental health programs that consider variations by sex and region in future health crisis contexts.