Fear of COVID-19 scale: Validity, reliability and factorial invariance in Argentina’s general population

Abstract

This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Scale of Fear of COVID-19 (FCV-19S) in a sample of 1,291 Argentines. The two-related factor structure of the FCV-19S had satisfactory goodness-of-fit indices using structural equation modeling and item response theory. Further results showed that the reliability was adequate, the factor structure was strictly invariable across age groups, and the model that evaluated the relationships between fear of COVID-19, anxiety, and depression had adequate goodness of fit indices as well. The results indicated that FCV-19S has strong psychometric properties to measure fear of COVID-19 in the general population of Argentina.