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Medicas UIS
Print version ISSN 0121-0319On-line version ISSN 1794-5240
Abstract
RESTREPO, Jorge Emiro; CASTANEDA-QUIRAMA, Tatiana and ZAMBRANO-CRUZ, Renato. Exploratory study on health anxiety in Colombian university students during COVID-19 pandemic confinement in the second semester of 2020. Medicas UIS [online]. 2022, vol.35, n.3, pp.41-53. Epub Apr 17, 2023. ISSN 0121-0319. https://doi.org/10.18273/revmed.v35n3-2022005.
Introduction:
Health anxiety is a psychological state characterized by certain types of beliefs, emotions, and attitudes toward the possibility of contracting a disease. Health anxiety has been considered a mediator of the psychological response to the pandemic generated by COVID-19.
Objectives:
To determine the level of health anxiety in a sample of Colombian university students, discriminating and comparing according to certain sociodemographic variables, and to describe the main during social confinement between August and November 2020.
Methodology:
A quantitative, non-experimental, descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in a sample of 1004 undergraduate students from three higher education institutions in the city of Medellin. The Short Health Anxiety Inventory - SHAI was used.
Results:
The mean value for health anxiety was above the value reported by other studies. High percentages of health concern (39.64 %), awareness of discomfort/pain (63.3 %), fear of having a serious illness (20.01 %), interest in bodily sensations or changes (68.92 %), risk of having a serious illness (30.33 %) and consequences on life (35.75 %) were found. No statistically significant differences were found in any of the comparisons between groups.
Conclusions:
Health concerns and anxiety during with epidemics/pandemics can have a significant psychological impact, as well as being related to ineffective preventive behavior and having adverse long-term consequences.
Keywords : University students; Fear of disease; Coronavirus; Mental health; COVID-19.