Determinants of illness anxiety disorder among medical students in Hyderabad, Pakistan.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the burden and determinants of Illness anxiety (IA) among medical students in Hyderabad, Pa-kistan.
Methodology: This Cross-sectional study was conducted from September-December 2024 at the Isra University, Hyder-abad, Sindh. Participants regardless of their age and gender selected from 3rd, 4th and 5th years of MBBS at Isra Uni-versity, Hyderabad through stratified sampling. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed. Illness anxiety was assessed using Whiteley Index-7 and stress levels were assessed using Perceived stress scale-4. Data entered and analyzed in SPSS 27.
Results: Among the 234 participants, 42.0% of them had IA. Female participants having higher prevalence 63.3 % of IA compared males. The prevalence of IA was higher among 3rd year students (46.2%) compared to the 4th and 5th year. Moreover, the highest GPA scores (<3.0) had a higher probability of IA compared to their counterparts (p = 0.003). Stress showed the strongest association with IA. Female gender (aOR=2.40, p=0.001), 3rd-year status (aOR=1.85, p=0.02), high stress (aOR=3.05, p<0.001), poor sleep (aOR=2.60, p=0.001), and family anxiety history (aOR=2.10, p=0.01) were found as a significant determinants of IA.
Conclusion: Significant proportion of medical students experience health anxiety in Hyderabad. Whereas, female stu-dents, those in earlier clinical years, lower GPA, with a family history of mental disorders, high levels of stress and inad-equate sleep are all more affected by this problem and are significant determinants for this disorder.
Key words: Anxiety, Hypochondriasis, Illness Anxiety disorder, Medical students, Whiteley Index-7, Perceived stress scale-4