Covid-19 Fear and Compliance with Protective Measures of Students Who Continue Face-to-face Education During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Objective: This research was conducted to determine the conditions of Covid-19 fear and compliance with protective measures of students who continue face-to-face education. Methods: The research was descriptively conducted between November 12-20, 2020. The universe of the study consisted of secondary and high school students in a province in The eastern black sea region of Turkey, and the sample consisted of 188 students who were reached by the snowball sampling method. Results: In the study, the average score of the Covid-19 fear scale of the students was 18.88±6.66. 89.4% of the students said they regularly used masks, 86.7% said they regularly washed their hands and 67.6% said they regularly followed social distance rules. The educational status of the students' fathers (β= -0.314; p = 0.000), their families catching Covid-19 (β = -0.178; p = 0.012), and their anxiety about their families being sick (β= 0.195; p = 0.007) were found to be a significant predictor on the Covid-19 Fear Scale. Conclusion: In the study, it was determined that most of the students have knowledge about the methods of protection against Covid-19. Students' fears of Covid-19 were found to be moderate. It is recommended that school health nurses increase their awareness by educating students about Covid-19 disease and preventive measures.