Prevalence of Self-morbidity and Its Related Factors in COVID-19 Pandemic Conditions in Mazandaran Medical Students in 2021

Abstract

Background and Objectives Hypochondriasis (Illness anxiety disorder) is one of somatic disorders where a person has a fear of having a serious disease for at least 6 months, despite having physical health. Its prevalence is higher in people aged 20-30 years. This study aims to determine the prevalence of hypochondriasis and its related factors during the COVID-19 pandemic in medical students of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences (MUMS) Subjects and Methods This descriptive study with a cross-sectional design was conducted in 2021. The study population consists of all students of MUMS. Of these, 125 students participated in the study, including 75 females (60%) and 50 males (40%) aged 19-27 years (mean age=22.80±2.54 years). The data collection tool was a questionnaire adapted from a hypochondriasis awareness questionnaire developed by Evans in 1980. The collected data were analyzed in SPSS software, version 26. Results It was found that 36.8% had no hypochondriasis, 28% were at risk of hypochondriasis, 18.2% had mild hypochondriasis, 13.6% had moderate hypochondriasis, and 3.2% had severe hypochondriasis. The relationship between age and hypochondriasis was statistically significant (P=0.025). Conclusion Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and being in quarantine, most of the MUMS students has hypochondriasis, where older students have higher level of hypochondriasis.