Exploration of health anxiety among individuals with diabetes: Prevalence and implications

Health anxiety has been infrequently examined in individuals with diabetes. In this study, individuals with Type 1 or 2 diabetes (n = 414) completed questionnaires assessing health anxiety and related constructs. Elevated health anxiety was reported by 24.1 percent of the sample and was greater among younger individuals, females, unmarried participants, and those recently diagnosed with diabetes. The construct was related to trait anxiety, fear of diabetes complications, poorer adherence to dietary and exercise self-care activities as well as lower physical quality of life. The research improves our understanding of health anxiety among individuals with diabetes.