Aim: Fear of contagion is a psychological condition that can have negative effects on individuals working in health-related sectors. The aim of this study is to investigate fear of contagion among students at the Vocational School of Health Services.Material and Methods: This study was designed as a descriptive and cross-sectional quantitative research method, and the data collection process was carried out between 15 July 2022 and 15 August 2022. Data were collected via an online survey prepared using Google Forms via social media platforms (WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter). The data collection tools used were the ‘Demographic Characteristics Survey,’ which identified participants' personal information, and the 5-point Likert-type ‘Contagion/ Fear of Contagion Scale,’ consisting of 24 items and 4 sub-dimensions.Results: The study included 861 participants (mean age 20.50±2.26; 74.45% female). While 56.33% of participants reported fear of contracting infectious diseases from healthcare facilities, 57.61% reported fear of becoming ill in social settings. When comparing Contamian Fear Scale scores, it was found that second-year students scored significantly higher than other years. In particular, individuals who used social media to obtain information about infectious diseases had significantly higher scale scores than those who did not (p 0.05).Conclusion: Fear of contagion is prevalent among second-year students and social media users, significantly impacting daily lives. The results of this study shed light on how critical it is to address this problem in educational and clinical settings in order to support a healthier and more productive learning environment for future healthcare professionals.
Şevik et al. (Sun,) studied this question.