Is Fear of COVID-19 Higher among Food-Insecure Households? A Model-Based Study, Mediated by Perceived Stress among Iranian Populations

The COVID-19 pandemic is a crisis accompanied with multiple psychological consequences. This cross-sectional study, conducted on 2871 Iranians, examines how food insecurity may be associated with fear of COVID-19. Household Food Insecurity Access Scale, COVID-19 fear scale, Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale, and Perceived Social Support Questionnaire were used in gathering data. Data analysis was done using SPSS 22 and Amos 22. The results showed that food insecurity has significantly positive direct and indirect (mediated by perceived stress) correlations with fear of COVID-19 (P<0.05). It was also shown that perceived social support could negatively affect fear of COVID-19, through food insecurity or perceived stress (P<0.05). Among women, the presence of a child under 5 had a significant direct impact on fear of COVID-19 (P<0.05). The crisis caused by COVID-19 highlights the need for increasing social resilience through developing and implementing appropriate food security strategies.