What does this usage of 「かどうか」mean?


So I've been studying for the inevitable JLPT N4 exam, and came across a
grammar question I didn't understand at all. I mean, I do understand every
individual word, but as it often happens with Japanese, I don't get the whole
meaning. The question is:

明日は仕事を守れるかどうかが不安だった。しかしいまは、命を守れるかどうかが不安だ。

Thanks in advance for explanation - what those sentences mean, and what does
「かどうか」mean in this context. Since normally it means 'whether or not' from what
I know. Is this some uncommon usage of that expression, or is it just me not
getting the rest of the sentence right?




These two かどうか actually mean "whether or not ～" or "if ～". Examples are found
[here](https://web.archive.org/web/20180803033315/http://www.jgram.org/pages/viewOne.php?tagE=kadouka).
In case you don't know about embedded questions, [please learn embedded
questions first](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/13034/5010). And "～が不安だ"
means "I'm worried about ～." If you're familiar with the "～が好きだ" pattern,
"～が不安だ" should look similar. The sentences in question are the combination of
the elements above.

> 明日は仕事を守れるかどうかが不安だった。しかしいまは、命を守れるかどうかが不安だ。  
>  (In the past,) I was worried about whether or not I can keep my job
> tomorrow. But now I'm worried about whether or not I can protect my life.




These two かどうか actually mean "whether or not ～" or "if ～". Examples are found
[here](https://web.archive.org/web/20180803033315/http://www.jgram.org/pages/viewOne.php?tagE=kadouka).
In case you don't know about embedded questions, [please learn embedded
questions first](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/13034/5010). And "～が不安だ"
means "I'm worried about ～." If you're familiar with the "～が好きだ" pattern,
"～が不安だ" should look similar. The sentences in question are the combination of
the elements above.

> 明日は仕事を守れるかどうかが不安だった。しかしいまは、命を守れるかどうかが不安だ。  
>  (In the past,) I was worried about whether or not I can keep my job
> tomorrow. But now I'm worried about whether or not I can protect my life.

