Association Between Fear of COVID-19 and Death Anxiety with Moderator Role of Self-Regulation Among Older Adults Residing in Qazvin

Fear of COVID-19 is common among older adults and negatively impacts on their physical and mental health. Self-regulation is an essential factor for controlling or managing excitement and anxiety. So, this study aimed to determine the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and death anxiety with the moderator role of self-regulation among the elderly residing in Qazvin.

This descriptive and cross-sectional study was performed on 430 elderly aged 60 and over living in Qazvin in 2021. Samples were selected by cluster sampling method. The demographic checklist, Templer death anxiety scale, fear of COVID-19 questionnaire, and Self-Regulation Inventory were used for collecting the data. The data were analyzed using the Path Analyze test.

The mean age of the elder participants in the study was 66.88 ± 6.40 years old. The results showed a significant and positive relationship between fear of COVID-19 and death anxiety (β=0.60, P<0.001) and an inverse association between fear of COVID-19 (β=-0.24, P=0.021) and death anxiety (β=-0.10, P=0.021) with self-regulation. Furthermore, the results of the Path analysis confirmed the moderator role of self-regulation in the association between fear of Covid-19 and death anxiety among the elderly residing in Qazvin, Iran.

Given the mediator role of self-regulation in the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and death anxiety, it is suggested to use teaching strategies to the older adults to improve self-regulation to control and mitigate the negative impacts of the fear of COVID-19 in this vulnerable population.