Rates and correlates of illness anxiety disorder among health college students: A cross-sectional study

Table 1 Sociodemographic and academic characteristics of the study participants (n = 325)

Demographic characteristics	n	%
Age in year	21.06 ± 1.4
Minimum	19
Maximum	25
Sex
Female	207	63.70
Male	118	36.30
College
College of Applied Health Sciences	86	26.50
College of Medicine	72	22.20
College of Pharmacy	65	20.00
College of Nursing	47	14.50
College of Dentistry	35	10.80
College of Emergency Medical Services	20	6.20
Academic year
First year	50	15.40
Second year	68	20.90
Third year	104	32.00
Fourth year	67	20.60
Fifth year	20	6.20
Intern	16	4.90

Table 2 Personal and family histories of psychiatric and chronic diseases (n = 325)

Question	n	%
Have you ever been diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder?
Yes	50	15.4
No	275	84.6
If you have been previously diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder, what was it? (n = 50)
Depression	22	44.00
Anxiety	21	42.00
Generalized anxiety disorder	11	22.00
Panic attacks	4	8.00
Social anxiety disorder	4	8.00
Obsessive compulsive disorder	3	6.00
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder	2	4.00
Bipolar disorder	1	2.00
Other	5	10.00
Are you currently diagnosed with any chronic disease?
Yes	36	11.1
No	289	88.9
If you are currently diagnosed with a chronic disease, what is it? (n = 36)
Asthma	10	27.78
Diabetes mellitus	4	11.11
Irritable bowel syndrome	3	8.33
Polycystic ovarian syndrome	2	5.56
Hypothyroidism	2	5.56
Hypertension	1	2.78
Psoriasis	1	2.78
Sinusitis	1	2.78
Other	11	30.56
Have you ever been diagnosed with a chronic disease when you were a child?
Yes	26	8
No	299	92
If you have been diagnosed with a chronic disease in your childhood, what was it? (n = 26)
Asthma	18	69.23
Diabetes	3	11.54
Hypothyroidism	2	7.69
Other	3	11.54
Have any of your family members been previously diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder?
Yes	80	24.60
No	245	75.40
Does any of your family members have a chronic or serious chronic disease?
Yes	137	42.2
No	188	57.8

Multiple responses were permitted for psychiatric diagnoses; therefore, percentages do not sum to 100%.

Table 3 Prevalence of illness anxiety disorder based on the short health anxiety inventory (n = 325)

Question	n	%
The short health anxiety inventory score
Minimum	0
Maximum	39
Mean	13.57
SD	6.73
The short health anxiety inventory score
Have illness anxiety disorder	94	28.9
Do not have illness anxiety disorder	231	71.1

Table 4 Factors associated with the score of illness anxiety disorder

Factor	Illness anxiety disorder score		P value
	Mean	SD
Sex			0.041a
Male	12.56	6.88
Female	14.14	6.58
College			0.05a
College of Nursing	15.72	7.29
College of Applied Health Sciences	14.13	6.81
College of Emergent Medical Services	13.65	5.04
College of Pharmacy	13.60	6.85
College of Medicine	12.53	6.77
College of Dentistry	11.34	5.54
Academic year			0.087
First year	15.50	7.61
Second year	12.81	5.54
Third year	13.55	7.03
Fourth year	13.48	6.54
Fifth year	14.50	7.56
Intern	10.13	4.77
Have you ever been diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder?			0.005a
Yes	16	7.84
No	13.13	6.42
Are you currently diagnosed with any chronic disease?			0.555
Yes	14.19	7.73
No	13.49	6.60
Have you ever been diagnosed with a chronic disease when you were a child?			0.376
Yes	14.69	8.13
No	13.47	6.60
Have you ever experienced abuse or neglect during childhood?			0.032a
Sexual abuse	16.75	8.85
Physical abuse	16.04	5.38
Neglect	15	5.27
Verbal abuse	13.55	7.49
None	12.84	6.44
Have any of your family members been diagnosed with psychiatric illness?			0.077
Yes	14.73	7.42
No	13.19	6.46
Do any of your family members have a chronic or serious chronic disease?			0.689
Yes	13.74	6.40
No	13.44	6.97

^aP ≤ 0.05.

Table 5 Univariate Logistic regression for factors associated with illness anxiety disorder

		Odds ratio	95%CI		P value
			Lower	Upper
Gender	Male	0.93	0.52	1.68	0.816
	Female1	1.00
Age		0.89	0.72	1.10	0.266
College	College of Nursery	4.00	1.20	13.33	0.024a
	College of Emergent Medical Services	1.94	0.43	8.78	0.391
	College of Pharmacy	1.75	0.52	5.92	0.364
	College of Medicine	1.40	0.41	4.75	0.592
	College of Applied Health Sciences	1.38	0.42	4.57	0.598
	College of Dentistry1	1.00
Academic year	First year	5.83	0.70	48.42	0.102
	Second year	2.89	0.35	24.23	0.327
	Third year	2.73	0.34	22.12	0.347
	Fourth year	3.61	0.44	29.87	0.234
	Fifth year	5.00	0.52	48.07	0.163
	Intern1	1.00
Have you ever been diagnosed with psychiatric disorder?	Yes	1.49	0.73	3.07	0.275
	No1	1.00
Are you currently suffering from any chronic disease?	Yes	0.87	0.35	2.20	0.769
	No1	1.00
Have you ever been diagnosed with a chronic disease when you were a child?	Yes	1.06	0.38	2.92	0.916
	No1	1.00
Have you ever been mistreated/abused in your childhood?	Verbal abuse	1.98	0.98	4.03	0.058
	Physical abuse	2.21	0.85	5.70	0.103
	Sexual abuse	5.15	1.76	15.01	0.003a
	Neglect	2.54	0.84	7.73	0.099
	None1	1.00
Have any of your family members been previously diagnosed with psychiatric illness?	Yes	1.88	1.03	3.44	0.041a
	No1	1.00
Do any of your family members have a chronic or serious chronic disease?	Yes	0.90	0.51	1.59	0.708
	No1	1.00

^aP ≤ 0.05.

¹Used as a reference.

95%CI: 95% confidence interval.

Table 6 Multivariable Logistic regression for factors associated with illness anxiety disorder

		Odds ratio	95%CI		P value
			Lower	Upper
College	College of Nursery	3.50	1.01	12.18	0.049a
	College of Emergent Medical Services	1.82	0.39	8.57	0.447
	College of Pharmacy	1.60	0.46	5.54	0.458
	College of Medicine	1.33	0.38	4.65	0.651
	College of Applied Health Sciences	1.05	0.31	3.57	0.943
	College of Dentistry1	1.00
Have you been mistreated/abused in your childhood?	Verbal abuse	2.08	1.00	4.34	0.051
	Physical abuse	1.98	0.74	5.31	0.176
	Sexual abuse	4.39	1.40	13.77	0.011a
	Neglect	2.16	0.68	6.89	0.194
	None1	1.00
Have any of your family members been previously diagnosed with psychiatric illness?	Yes	1.93	1.01	3.69	0.048a
	No1	1.00

^aP ≤ 0.05.

¹Used as a reference.

95%CI: 95% confidence interval.