Investigation of the relationship between cyberchondria and health anxiety in university students

ABSTRACT MS. Thesis Investigation of the Relationship Between Cyberchondria and Health Anxiety in University Students Aim: This study examined the relationship between cyberchondria and health anxiety in university students. Method: The research was designed to be descriptive and relationship-seeking. The research was conducted with 1296 students studying at Erzurum Technical University between October 2023 and June 2024. "Personal Information 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. In the analysis of data; Frequency, percentage, Pearson product moment correlation analysis and linear regression analysis were used, and these analyzes were performed on the computer with the SPSS 22.00 statistical package program. Results: It was found that the Cyberchondria Severity Scale mean score of the students included in the research was 85.26±19.60, and the Health Anxiety Scale mean score was 32.36±5.51. Additionally, a significant relationship was determined between the Health Anxiety Scale and the Cyberchondria Severity Scale in the right direction at the p<0.05 significance level. At the same time, as a result of further analysis, the standardized regression coefficient () explains 8% of the total variance of the Cyberchondria Severity Scale according to the predictor variable. When the t test results regarding the significance of the regression coefficients are examined, it is seen that it is a significant predictor on Health Anxiety. Conclusion: According to the score obtained from the Cyberchondria Severity Scale, the cyberchondria level of the students was found to be at a moderate level. According to the score obtained from the Health Anxiety Scale, it was determined that the students' scores were above average. It was determined that as the Health Anxiety Scale scores increased, the Cyberchondria Severity Scale scores also increased, i.e., there was a positive relationship between them. In line with these results, it is recommended to develop awareness programs and interventions that will help students manage their search for health information on the Internet. Keywords: Cyberchondria, health anxiety, Internet addiction, Nursing, University students