The Portrait of Cyberchondria—A Cross-Sectional Online Study on Factors Related to Health Anxiety and Cyberchondria in Polish Population during SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic

Ciułkowicz, Marta; Misiak, Błażej; Szczęśniak, Dorota; Grzebieluch, Jolanta; Maciaszek, Julian; Rymaszewska, Joanna

doi:10.3390/ijerph19074347

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 56 publications

(65 reference statements)

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“…In contrast, Ciułkowicz et al . [ 36 ] reported that occupational inactivity results in limited access to healthcare, which in turn creates an economic burden on these individuals. A possible explanation for this difference is that in Saudi Arabia, citizens are provided healthcare for free, and thus it has a fair coverage for those non-working, while the pension for retirees adequately covers any additional healthcare needs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cyberchondria and its association with smartphone addiction and electronic health literacy among a Saudi population

El-Zayat

Namnkani

Alshareef

et al. 2023

Saudi J Med Med Sci

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Background: Cyberchondria is a recent phenomenon characterized by the excessive/frequent searching of the internet for health-related information (HRI) that results in concerns/anxiety over health and wellness. Studies have shown an increase in the prevalence of cyberchondria and that it is associated with smartphone addiction and eHealth literacy, but few such studies are available from Saudi Arabia. Methods: This cross-sectional study included adult Saudis living in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and was conducted between May 1 and June 30, 2022. A four-section questionnaire was distributed using Google Forms, and included the Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS), Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS), and Electronic Health Literacy scale (eHEALS). The scales were translated into Arabic using the forward–backward technique, and then evaluated for content validity, face validity, and reliability. Results: The reliability of the translated versions was satisfactory: CSS Cronbach’s alpha = 0.882; SAS = 0.887; eHEALS = 0.903. A total of 518 participants were inlcuded, of which the majority were female (64.1%). The prevalence of cyberchondria was 2.1% (95% CI: 1.1–3.8), 83.4% (79.9–86.5), and 14.5% (11.6–17.8) for low, moderate, and high grades, respectively. Two-thirds of the participants (66.6%) had smartphone addiction, while three-fourths (72.6%) had a high level of eHealth literacy. There were significant correlations between cyberchondria and smartphone addiction ( r = 0.395, CI = 0.316/0.475, P = 0.0001) and high eHealth literacy ( r = 0.265, CI = 0.182/0.349, P = 0.0001). Conclusion: The study revealed a high prevalence of cyberchondria in a Saudi population, and this was associated with smartphone addiction and high eHealth literacy.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cyberchondria and its association with smartphone addiction and electronic health literacy among a Saudi population

El-Zayat

Namnkani

Alshareef

et al. 2023

Saudi J Med Med Sci

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“…Cyberchondria have a negative impact on nursing students. It can lead to heightened anxiety, stress, and even hypochondria (9). This can affect their ability to focus on their studies and perform effectively in clinical settings.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The relationship between Cyberchondria and Health Literacy among first year Nursing Students: the mediating effect of health anxiety.

Mohammed,

Hendawi,

El-Ashry

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Background First-year nursing students are at a critical juncture in their education. They are transitioning from laypersons to healthcare professionals, students are frequently exposed to medical information both in academic settings and through personal research. This exposure can sometimes lead to cyberchondria, improving health literacy and managing health anxiety are key strategies in reducing the incidence of cyberchondria.Aim Investigate the mediating effect of health anxiety between Cyberchondria and Health Literacy among first year Nursing Students.Methods A descriptive correlational research design following STROBE guidelines used in this study. The study was conducted with 475 students in October 2023 during the first semester of the academic year 2023–2024.Results Cyberchondria and health literacy levels were both moderate. In addition, the degree of health anxiety among first year Nursing Students was moderate too. The results showed that the association between Cyberchondria and Health Literacy and cyberchondria is partially mediated by health anxiety .Conclusion This study highlights the sophisticated relationship between cyberchondria, health literacy, and health anxiety among first-year nursing students. It demonstrates that lower health literacy can lead to increased health anxiety, which in turn exacerbates cyberchondria. To mitigate these issues, it is essential to enhance health literacy and provide support for managing health anxiety within nursing education programs. By doing so, we can help nursing students effectively navigate online health information and reduce unnecessary health-related anxieties, promoting better educational outcomes and overall well-being.

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“…After the early pandemic phases, the acute stress factor gained chronic character leading to a novel manifestation of pandemic-associated mental disorders. Currently, many researchers report on factors contributing or correlated with mental health outcomes in the general population, in students, or in medical professionals [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ]. However, much less is known about the consequences of COVID-19-related psychological strain on vulnerable populations, such as individuals at risk for mental disorders, the elderly, and those frequently requiring services of the health care system—patients treated for chronic diseases, such as neurological disorders, dermatological conditions, or patients undergoing dialyses.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coping of Chronically-Ill Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Comparison between Four Groups

Łuc

Pawłowski

Jaworski

et al. 2023

IJERPH

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In many countries, the COVID-19 pandemic led to healthcare reorganization limiting access to diagnostic or therapeutic procedures for chronically-ill patients. In this article, we describe the psychological consequences and coping strategies of several groups of chronically-ill patients. During the cross-sectional survey conducted in 2020, we enrolled 398 patients with four different chronic conditions (psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, and patients who have undergone a kidney transplant or received dialysis). The study sample was examined regarding the experienced stress levels (Perceived Stress Scale) and coping strategies (Brief-COPE). All four groups of patients most commonly declared using problem-focused coping strategies and least commonly reported the use of avoidant coping. Higher levels of perceived stress strongly correlated with self-blaming. The participants who declared previous psychiatric treatment or psychotherapy were more likely to use self-blaming, behavioral disengagement, substance use, and avoidant coping, while previous psychotherapy additionally correlated with emotion-focused coping. Group comparison identifies patients with a chronic neurological disease, such as multiple sclerosis, at higher risk of a less beneficial coping profile than kidney transplant recipients. Further focus on education and early interventions in at-risk individuals is needed, and widely targeted mental health programs are indicated in order to improve the mental health of patients suffering from chronic diseases.

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The Portrait of Cyberchondria—A Cross-Sectional Online Study on Factors Related to Health Anxiety and Cyberchondria in Polish Population during SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic

Cited by 6 publications

References 56 publications

Cyberchondria and its association with smartphone addiction and electronic health literacy among a Saudi population

Cyberchondria and its association with smartphone addiction and electronic health literacy among a Saudi population

The relationship between Cyberchondria and Health Literacy among first year Nursing Students: the mediating effect of health anxiety.

Coping of Chronically-Ill Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Comparison between Four Groups

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