Current status and influencing factors of health anxiety among healthcare workers in Huainan City

Abstract

Abstract: Objective To understand the current status and influencing factors of health anxiety among healthcare workers,and to provide a theoretical basis for proposing relevant intervention measures at a later stage. Methods From March 2023 to July 2023,393 healthcare workers from three general hospitals in Huainan City were selected by convenience sampling method,surveyed with general information questionnaire,health anxiety scale,and state-trait anxiety scale,and the data were analyzed. Results The total score of state anxiety[M（P₂₅,P₇₅）] of the healthcare workers was 40.00（32.00,50.00）points,the total score of trait anxiety[M（P₂₅,P₇₅）] was 43.00（34.00,50.00）points,and the total score of health anxiety[M（P₂₅,P₇₅）] was 20.00（17.00,26.00）points. The results of univariate analysis showed that there were statistically significant differences in health anxiety levels among healthcare workers of different age,education level,economic status,gender,family history of chronic diseases,and history of major diseases（H=-6.440,-7.129,-5.830,Z=9.255,60.507,64.787,all P<0.05）. Spearman correlation analysis showed that health anxiety was positively correlated with state anxiety and trait anxiety（r=0.545-0.554,all P<0.05）. Multiple regression analysis showed that gender,age,education level,economic status,trait anxiety,family history of chronic diseases,and history of major diseases were influential factors of health anxiety（β=-0.099,0.128,-0.149,0.145,-0.289,-0.119,0.309,all P<0.05）,explaining 54.7% of the total variance. Conclusion Healthcare workers have a wide range of health anxiety problems,mainlyinfluenced byfactors such as gender,age,education level,economic level,family history of chronic diseases,and history of major diseases,and trait anxiety. These factors lead to threats to the physical and mental health of healthcare workers.Managers should pay attention to the health anxiety problem of healthcare workers,and take targeted measures to reduce the negative impact of health anxiety on healthcare workers.

Key words: Health anxiety, Influencing factors, Healthcare workers, State anxiety, Trait anxiety

CLC Number:

R749

WEI Tao, XING Xiaoli, XU Bu, GAN Yan, ZHANG Xiufang, RONG Xiangxia. Current status and influencing factors of health anxiety among healthcare workers in Huainan City. [J]OCCUPATION AND HEALTH, 2025, 41(8): 1065-1069.

References

[1] SALKOVSKIS P M,WARWICK H M.Morbid preoccupations,health anxiety and reassurance:A cognitive-behavioural approach to hypochondriasis[J].Behav Res Ther,1986,24(5):597-602.
[2] SUNDERLAND M,NEWBY J M,ANDREWS G.Health anxiety in Australia:prevalence,comorbidity,disability and service use[J].Br J Psychiatry,2013,202(1):56-61.
[3] GORGEN S M,HILLER W,WITTHOFT M.Health anxiety,cognitive coping,and emotion regulation:A latent variable approach[J].Int J Behav Med,2014,21(2):364-374.
[4] FERGUSON E.A taxometric analysis of health anxiety[J].Psychol Med,2009,39(2):277-285.
[5] BOURGAULT-FAGNOU M D,HADJISTAVROPOULOS H D.Understanding health anxiety among community dwelling seniors with varying degrees of frailty[J].Aging Ment Health,2009,13(2):226-237.
[6] MUSE K,MCMANUS F,HACKMANN A,et al.Intrusive imagery in severe health anxiety:Prevalence,nature and links with memories and maintenance cycles[J].Behav Res Ther,2010,48(8):792-798.
[7] BAILER J,KERSTNER T,WITTHOFT M,et al.Health anxiety and hypochondriasis in the light of DSM-5[J].Anxiety Stress Coping,2016,29(2):219-239.
[8] NEWBY J M,HOBBS M J,MAHONEY A,et al.DSM-5 illness anxiety disorder and somatic symptom disorder:Comorbidity,correlates,and overlap with DSM-IV hypochondriasis[J].J Psychosom Res,2017,101:31-37.
[9] ASMUNDSON G J,TAYLOR S,CARLETON R N,et al.Should health anxiety be carved at the joint? A look at the health anxiety construct using factor mixture modeling in a non-clinical sample[J].J Anxiety Disord,2012,26(1):246-251.
[10] BERGE L I,SKOGEN J C,SULO G,et al.Health anxiety and risk of ischaemic heart disease:A prospective cohort study linking the Hordaland Health Study(HUSK)with the Cardiovascular Diseases in Norway(CVDNOR)project[J].BMJ Open,2016,6(11):e012914.
[11] PETRICONE-WESTWOOD D,JONES G,MUTSAERS B,et al.A Systematic Review of Interventions for Health Anxiety Presentations Across Diverse Chronic Illnesses[J].Int J Behav Med,2019,26(1):3-16.
[12] ZHANG Y,LIU R,LI G,et al.The reliability and validity of a Chinese-version Short Health Anxiety Inventory:An investigation of university students[J].Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat,2015,11:1739-1747.
[13] SALKOVSKIS P M,RIMES K A,WARWICK H M,et al.The Health Anxiety Inventory:Development and validation of scales for the measurement of health anxiety and hypochondriasis[J].Psychol Med,2002,32(5):843-853.
[14] SPIELBERGER C D.Manual for the State-Trait-Anxiety Inventory:STAI(form Y)[M].Palo Alto,CA:Consulting Psychologists Press,1983:577.
[15] KUBOTA Y,HEISS G,MACLEHOSE R F,et al.Association of educational attainment with lifetime risk of cardiovascular disease:The atherosclerosis risk in communities study[J].JAMA Intern Med,2017, 177(8):1165-1172.
[16] HAMAD R,NGUYEN T T,BHATTACHARYA J,et al.Educational attainment and cardiovascular disease in the United States:A quasi-experimental instrumental variables analysis[J].PLoS Med,2019,16(6):e1002834.
[17] MAGNANI J W,NING H,WILKINS J T,et al.Educational Attainment and Lifetime Risk of Cardiovascular Disease[J].JAMA Cardiol,2024, 9(1):45-54.