Impact of Cyberchondriasis on Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Patients Searching Health Information Online

Cyberchondriasis is the name given to the health anxiety of patients catalyzed by reading literary material available on the internet. This research finds the impact of cyberchondriasis on polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) patients searching health information online. This study was carried out using a survey with a sample size of 100 PCOS patients in Karachi, Pakistan. Participants were selected from an academic institute and a private hospital. We used the cyberchondriasis scale that included five different factors namely; "compulsion," "distress," "excessiveness," "reassurance" and "mistrust" to measure its effect searching health information online by PCOS patients. These five factors of cyberchondriasis were taken as independent variables whereas "searching health information online" was taken as dependent variable. Exploratory factor analysis and binary logistic regression were applied on the data collected. Factor analysis reduced the cyberchondriasis scale into three factors, from which we retained two, "compulsion" and "mistrust." Binary logistic regression concluded that "compulsion" increased the odds of searching health information online by PCOS patients.