The Relationship Between Cyberchondria and Health Anxiety in University Students

Abstract Background: In today's digital era, university students frequently utilize the internet to seek health-related information. This behavior, while potentially informative, can lead to excessive online searches, resulting in heightened health anxiety—a phenomenon termed "cyberchondria." Understanding the relationship between cyberchondria and health anxiety is essential, as both can significantly impact students' well-being and academic performance. Methods: The study was designed to be descriptive and relationship-seeking. The study was conducted with 1296 students studying at A University between October 2023 and June 2024. “Personal Data Form”, “Cyberchondria Severity Scale” and “Health Anxiety Inventory” were used to collect data. Data was collected by face-to-face survey method after obtaining the necessary permissions.The data evaluation was performed by using the SPSS 22 package program, using numbers, mean values, percentage distribution, standard deviation, Pearson Correlation Analysis, and One-Way ANOVA. Results: The mean Cyberchondria Severity Scale score was 85.26±19.60, indicating a moderate level of cyberchondria among students. The mean Health Anxiety Inventory score was 32.36±5.51, suggesting above-average health anxiety. A significant positive correlation was found between Cyberchondria Severity Scale and Health Anxiety Inventory scores (p<0.05). Further analysis revealed that health anxiety accounted for 8% of the variance in cyberchondria severity. Conclusion: The findings indicate that higher health anxiety is associated with increased cyberchondria among university students. Developing awareness programs to help students manage online health information-seeking behaviors is recommended.