Date of Award

10-2024

Document Type

Doctoral Research Project

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Vida L. Tyc, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Robyn Tapley, Psy.D.

Third Advisor

Scott Gustafson, Ph.D., ABPP

Fourth Advisor

Lisa A. Steelman, Ph.D.

Abstract

The relationship between health anxiety and health information-seeking behaviors (HISB) suggests a possible bidirectional or reciprocal relationship, suggesting that health anxiety leads to HISB and HISB exacerbates health anxiety. The motivations for individuals seeking different types of health information vary and may be impacted by numerous factors that lead to particular health outcomes. However, the impact of these collective variables on healthcare outcomes has not been extensively investigated. The current study aimed to bridge this gap in the literature. The study sample consisted of 133 individuals ages 20-77 years who had varying levels of health anxiety. Results suggested that those with higher health anxiety levels engaged in more HISB. Compared to participants with better perceived health status, those with poorer perceived health status reported lower HISB frequency but there was no significant association between perceived health status and the content of information searched. Participants with current health problems also engaged in less HISB and were less likely to engage in internet searches for wellness-based content than participants without health problems. Additionally, there were no significant differences in healthcare utilization (HCU) or engagement in self-protective health practices between participants with clinically significant levels of health anxiety and those with less health anxiety. Understanding how a patient’s health anxiety intersects with their health information seeking behaviors can allow for more effective interactions with healthcare providers around their medical care.

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