Society of Diabetic Nephropathy Prevention Journal of Preventive Epidemiology 2476-3934 10 2 2025 06 30 Association of demographic characteristics with mental anxiety caused by the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in candidate patients for cataract surgery e33193 e33193 10.34172/jpe.2023.33193 EN Jamshid Eslami https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9055-0011 Giti Setoodeh https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1323-874X Elahe Zaremoghadam https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0550-0122 Fatemeh Vashahi Torfi https://orcid.org/0009-0008-1987-7693 Reyhaneh Sadeghian https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2974-7653 Mohamad Khaledi https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9481-0343 Hanieh Molaee https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5783-0986 Najmeh Parsai https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3434-9724 Journal Article 10.34172/jpe.2023.33193 2022 10 10 2023 08 14 Introduction: The increasing outbreak of COVID-19 disease has challenged global public health and caused a pathological fear of its contracting. The unknown origin of COVID-19, long incubation period, high death rate, rapid transmissions, and the lack of definitive or preventive treatment caused great fear and anxiety among the world population. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between demographic characteristics and mental anxiety caused by the COVID-19 pandemic among candidate patients for cataract surgery. Patients and Methods: This descriptive-analytical study selected 258 candidates for cataract surgery patients referred to Shahid Dastgheib and Khalili hospitals in Shiraz. The data were collected using a demographic and the Corona Disease Anxiety Scale questionnaire. Analytical tests were used for data analysis, including Mann-Whitney U, Spearman’s correlation, Kruskal-Wallis, and univariate and multivariate linear regression. Results: Most participants were women with a mean age of 62.8 ± 15.9 years. There was no statistically significant correlation between age, education level, and history of COVID-19 with mental anxiety (P > 0.001). In contrast, gender and job indicated a statistically significant correlation. Housewives and retired people experienced higher levels of mental anxiety (P < 0.001). Multivariate linear regression explored that amongst all demographic characteristics, only female gender was an independent risk factor for patients’ mental anxiety. Conclusion: Considering the mental health of patients applying for surgery by gender status during the COVID-19 pandemic is very important.