Tabriz University of Medical Sciences Health Promotion Perspectives 2228-6497 11 3 2021 08 18 Fear of COVID-19 and religious coping mediate the associations between religiosity and distress among older adults 316 322 10.34172/hpp.2021.40 EN Karim Asgari Ghoncheh https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0127-9480 Chieh-hsiu Liu Chung-Ying Lin https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2129-4242 Mohsen Saffari Mark D. Griffiths Amir H Pakpour https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8798-5345 Journal Article 10.34172/hpp.2021.40 2021 06 19 2021 06 27 Background: A mediation model was proposed to explain how religiosity, religious coping, and fear of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) explained anxiety and depression among older adults. Methods: With the use of a cross-sectional design, the Integrated Health System was used to randomly invite 1000 older adults residing in Qazvin to participate in an online survey. Within the period of November 2020 to January 2021, 696 older Iranian adults (mean age=69.56years; 57.9% women) agreed to participate in the study and reported demographic information as well as measures of religiosity, fear of COVID-19, religious coping, anxiety, and depression. Results: Religiosity had direct effects on depression (B [SE]=-0.087 [0.037]; P=0.023) but not anxiety (B [SE]=-0.063 [0.036]; P=0.072). Moreover, both fear of COVID-19 and religious coping significantly mediated the association between religiosity and anxiety (B [SE]=-0.360[0.035]; p=0.002) and that between religiosity and depression (B [SE]=-0.365 [0.034];P=0.002). Conclusion: During the tough time of COVID-19 pandemic, religiosity and religious coping were protectors for older adults in developing good mental. Therefore, future research is needed to examine education programs that are effective for older adults to obtain correct knowledge concerning COVID-19, including the protective COVID-19 infection behaviors. Therefore, older adults may reduce their fear via their enhanced correct knowledge concerning COVID-19.