A Survey of Anxiety Caused by COVID-19 Pandemic among Students of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences in 2021: A Descriptive Study

Background and Objectives: Medical students are considered a high-risk group for COVID-19 anxiety due to their health and medical activities. The aim of this study was to determine the level of anxiety caused by the COVID-19 epidemic among medical students in rafsanjan. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study, 400 students of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences were selected by regular stratified sampling and participated in the study. The data collection tool was a standard questionnaire. Data were analyzed using independent t-test, one-way analysis of variance, and non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: 228 (57%) were girls and the rest were boys. 29% (116 people) had a history of corona. 62.3% (249 people) of family members or relatives of participants had a history of infection or death due to corona. 25.3% (101 people) of the participants were active in the field of corona control. The mean scores of anxiety and psychological and physical subscales were 12.97±8.03, 10.06±5.07, and 2.91±3.69, respectively. Conclusion: The results of the study indicated that there was anxiety among students. The reasons were more exposure to patients, contaminated work environment, wearing protective clothing and masks, and fear of contamination of oneself and family. Greater awareness of the disease, access to personal protective equipment, and vaccination are strategies that can be effective in reducing anxiety. Key words: Anxiety, COVID-19 pandemic, Students, Rafsanjan University of medical sciences Ethical approval: This study was approved by the ethics committee of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences. Funding: Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences Conflict of interest: None declared. How to cite this article: Rahmani Abdollah, Ahmadinia Hassan, Hamzeh Sina, Taheri Fard Alireza, Rezaeian Mohsen. A Survey of Anxiety Caused by COVID-19 Pandemic Among Students of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences in 2021: A Descriptive Study. J Rafsanjan Univ Med Sci 2022; 21 (1): 91-108. [Farsi]