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Innovations in clinical neuroscience
2024 Jan-Mar;21 (1-3): 31-35.

Health Anxiety, Fear of COVID-19, Nosophobia, and Health-protective Behaviors Among Healthcare Professionals.

Uzma Ilyas, Farwa Aslam, Muqadas Fatima, Zarmin Tariq, Usman Hotiana
Author Information
  1. Uzma Ilyas: Ms. Ilyas is Principal Lecturer, Psychology Department, University of Central Punjab in Lahore, Pakistan.
  2. Farwa Aslam: Ms. Aslam is with Iqra University in Islamabad, Pakistan.
  3. Muqadas Fatima: Ms. Fatima is with University of Central Punjab in Lahore, Pakistan.
  4. Zarmin Tariq: Ms. Tariq is with University of Management and Technology in Lahore, Pakistan.
  5. Usman Hotiana: Prof. Dr. Hotiana is Head of Behavioral Sciences & Psychiatry Department, Rashid Latif Medical & Dental College in Lahore, Pakistan.
PMID: 38495611

Abstract

Objective: This study examined fear of COVID-19, nosophobia, health anxiety, and health-protective behaviors among healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: A cross-sectional, correlational research design was used in this study. The data of healthcare professionals (N=300) from three disciplines of medicine (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery [MBBS], Bachelor of Dental Surgery [BDS], Doctor of Physiotherapy [DPT]) were collected using a purposive sampling technique. The Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S), Medical Student Disease Perception and Distress Scale (MSD), Short Health Anxiety Inventory (SHAI), and Health Protective Behavior Scale (HBPS) were used as assessment measures. Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22 was used to analyze the data obtained.
Results: Of the 300 participants, 132 (44%) were male and 168 (56%) were female. A total of 199 participants (63.3%) had a MBBS degree, 59 (19.7%) had a BDS degree, and 41 (14%) had a DPT degree. The findings revealed a significant positive correlation between nosophobia, health anxiety, and fear of COVID-19, whereas health-protective behavior showed a negative association with health anxiety. Sex, health anxiety, and nosophobia were significant predictors of health-protective behaviors among medical professionals.
Conclusion: The fear related to COVID-19 is associated with nosophobia and health anxiety among medical professionals, which has a substantial impact on health, work performance, and vulnerability to developing psychological distress if left unmonitored.

Keywords

Anxiety health-protective behaviors medical professionals nosophobia

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Journal Article

Word Cloud

Created with Highcharts 10.0.0COVID-19healthnosophobiaanxietyprofessionalshealth-protectivefearbehaviorsamongusedBachelorScaleHealthAnxietydegreemedicalstudyhealthcaredataSurgeryFearparticipantssignificantObjective:examinedpandemicMethods:cross-sectionalcorrelationalresearchdesignN=300threedisciplinesmedicineMedicine[MBBS]Dental[BDS]DoctorPhysiotherapy[DPT]collectedusingpurposivesamplingtechniqueFCV-19SMedicalStudentDiseasePerceptionDistressMSDShortInventorySHAIProtectiveBehaviorHBPSassessmentmeasuresStatisticalPackageSocialSciencesSPSSversion22analyzeobtainedResults:30013244%male16856%femaletotal199633%MBBS59197%BDS4114%DPTfindingsrevealedpositivecorrelationwhereasbehaviorshowednegativeassociationSexpredictorsConclusion:relatedassociatedsubstantialimpactworkperformancevulnerabilitydevelopingpsychologicaldistressleftunmonitoredNosophobiaHealth-protectiveBehaviorsAmongHealthcareProfessionals

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