Association between health anxiety dimensions and preventive behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic among Japanese healthcare workers

• DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e22176
• Publication Date: 2023-11-10T05:32:59Z
• Authors: Kentaro Nagao; Takuya Yoshiike; Ryo Okubo; Kentaro Matsui; Aoi Kawamura; Muneto Izuhara; Tomohiro Utsumi; Megumi Hazumi; Mio Shinozaki; Ayumi Tsuru; Yohei Sasaki; Kazuyoshi Takeda; Hirofumi Komaki; Hideki Oi; Yoshiharu Kim; Kenichi Kuriyama; Hidehiko Takahashi; Takeshi Miyama; Kazuyuki Nakagome
• Keywords: Pandemic; 2019-20 coronavirus outbreak; Association (psychology)

Health anxiety (HA), defined as excessive worry about having a serious medical condition, may affect preventive behaviors during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We examined distinct role of two dimensions HA-perceived likelihood (probability dimension) and awfulness illness (awfulness dimension)-in self-protection, reflected in pandemic.Participants comprised 657 healthcare workers. Data were collected between February 24 26, 2021. The Short Anxiety Inventory determined HA dimensions. Adherence to government's recommendations for COVID-19 was self-rated. An independent association each dimension participants' adherence using multivariable regression.Within analyzed sample 560 subjects, severe observed 9.1 %. more participants felt awful, less frequently they engaged recommended (adjusted odds ratio = 0.993, 95 % confidence interval: 0.989, 0.998, p 0.003) regardless their profession, working position, psychological distress, sleep disturbance, current physical diseases. However, probability not associated with behaviors.The could be sensitive marker than dimension. Paying particular attention help optimize self-protection strategies A two-dimensional understanding useful maintenance system public health well workers' own health.