Prevalence Of Cyberchondria And Its Relation To Health Anxiety Among Physical Therapy Students In Sukkur Sindh.

Abstract

This research seeks to find the level of cyberchondria and how it connects with health anxiety in physical therapy students of Sukkur, Sindh. Excessive online health searching, known as cyberchondria, is often related to greater health anxiety in students who learn or work in the medical field. Cross-sectional quantitative data were obtained from 265 physical therapy students using official scales: the Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS) and the Short Health Anxiety Inventory (SHAI). The study found a statistically real, though moderate, relationship (r = 0.112, p = 0.028) between cyberchondria and health anxiety. Further analysis through chi-square confirmed that there was a significant relationship between the severity of both variables (p < 0.001). These results indicate that extensive use of the internet for health topics may increase students’ stress and worries. It emphasizes that relevance digital literacy, mental health services and special measures are needed to curb the mental health problems caused by cyberchondria among students.