Medical mistrust and its association with cyberchondria: A cross-sectional study among Lebanese adults

Table 1 Demographic data of respondents

Characteristics (n = 474)	n (%)
Age (years)
18-25	257 (54.2)
26-35	65 (13.7)
36-45	65 (13.7)
46-55	60 (12.7)
56-65	22 (4.6)
66-75	-
> 75	5 (1.1)
Sex
Male	200 (42.2)
Female	274 (57.8)
Nationality
Lebanese	457 (69.4)
Palestinian	2 (0.4)
Syrian	10 (2.1)
Others1	5 (1.1)
Place of Residence
Akkar	17 (3.6)
Baalbeck-El Hermel	19 (4)
Beirut	130 (27.4)
Bekaa	46 (9.7)
Mount Lebanon	73 (15.4)
Nabatieh	12 (2.5)
North Lebanon	57 (12)
South Lebanon	120 (25.3)
Marital status
Single	297 (62.7)
Married	159 (33.5)
Divorced	10 (2.1)
Widowed	8 (1.7)
Highest level of education
Not educated	3 (0.6)
Entered but didn’t finish high school	25 (5.3)
High school diploma	171 (35.1)
Bachelor’s degree	198 (41.8)
Post graduate degree	77 (16.2)
Employment status
Employed	154 (32.5)
Self-employed	67 (14.1)
Unemployed	253 (53.4)
Currently, you are a student
Yes	255 (53.8)
No	219 (46.2)
Currently, you are a worker/student in the healthcare field
Yes	158 (33.3)
No	316 (66.7)
Monthly income of the family
Less than 500 United States dollars	216 (45.6)
500-1000 United States dollars	105 (22.2)
1000-2000 United States dollars	71 (15)
More than 2000 United States dollars	82 (17.3)

¹Including Iraq, Venezuela, Brazil, and the United States of America.

Table 2 Medical trust of respondent

Characteristics (n = 474)	n (%)
Do you trust the COVID-19 vaccine?
Yes	325 (68.6)
No	149 (31.4)
Did you take the COVID-19 vaccine?
Yes	417 (88.97)
No	57 (12.03)
How many COVID-19 vaccine doses did you take? (n = 417)
I took the 1 dose	21 (5)
I took 2 doses	255 (61.2)
I took 3 doses	131 (31.4)
I took 4 doses	10 (2.4)
What was the main reason you took the COVID-19 vaccine? (n = 417)
For my health and to stay safe	277 (66.4)
My parents pushed me to get vaccinated	6 (1.4)
It was mandatory at my workplace/university	85 (20.4)
In order to travel/go to nightclubs and restaurants that mandate vaccination	47 (11.3)
Other reasons	2 (0.5)
Where do you usually receive medical care?
Governmental hospitals	53 (11.2)
Private hospitals	200 (42.2)
University hospitals	46 (9.7)
Private clinic	138 (29.1)
Dispensary	27 (5.7)
Other sites	10 (2.1)
Have you been misdiagnosed before?
Yes	144 (30.4)
No	330 (69.6)
Have you been given the wrong treatment before?
Yes	137 (28.9)
No	337 (71.1)
Have you been suffering any permanent damage due to a medical error?
Yes	29 (6.1)
No	445 (93.9)
Have you lost anyone close to you due to a medical error?
Yes	151 (31.9)
No	323 (68.1)
Which do you prefer?
Modern medicine	391 (82.5)
Herbal medicine	83 (17.5)

COVID-19: Coronavirus disease 2019.

Table 3 Predictor of cyberchondria severity score

Predictor	Unstandardized beta	Standardized beta	R2	P value
MMI	0.366	0.177	0.031	< 0.01

MMI: Medical Mistrust Index.

Table 4 Medical Mistrust Index correlations

Characteristics (n = 474)	Medical Mistrust Index Score mean/4	P value
Age (years)
18-25	2.57	0.016a
26-35	2.69
36-45	2.56
46-55	2.61
56-65	2.42
66-75	-
> 75	2.62
Sex
Male	2.63	< 0.01b
Female	2.52
Place of residence
Akkar	2.59	0.243
Baalbeck-El Hermel	2.60
Beirut	2.56
Bekaa	2.60
Mount Lebanon	2.53
Nabatieh	2.71
North Lebanon	2.67
South Lebanon	2.57
Highest level of education
Not educated	2.29	0.072
Entered but didn’t finish high school	2.48
High school diploma	2.55
Bachelor’s degree	2.61
Postgraduate degree	2.62
Currently, you are a worker/student in the healthcare field
Yes	2.54	0.065
No	2.60
Monthly Income of the family
Less than 500 United States dollars	2.59	0.655
500-1000 United States dollars	2.55
1000-2000 United States dollars	2.59
More than 2000 United States dollars	2.60
Suffering from health conditions
Yes	2.57	0.684
No	2.58
Suffering from mental health conditions
Yes	2.65	< 0.01b
No	2.54
Do you trust the COVID-19 vaccine?
Yes	2.53	< 0.01b
No	2.69
Did you take the COVID-19 vaccine?
Yes	2.49	0.072
No	2.59
What was the main reason you took the COVID-19 vaccine?
For my health and to stay safe	2.51	< 0.01b
My parents pushed me to get vaccinated	2.67
It was mandatory at my workplace/university	2.67
In order to travel/go to nightclubs and restaurants that mandate vaccination	2.71
Other reasons	1.79
Where do you usually receive medical care?
Governmental hospitals	2.62	0.845
Private hospitals	2.59
University hospitals	2.53
Private clinic	2.57
Dispensary	2.58
Other sites	2.61
Have you been misdiagnosed before?
Yes	2.69	< 0.01b
No	2.53
Have you been given the wrong treatment before?
Yes	2.65	0.002a
No	2.55
Have you been suffering any permanent damage due to a medical error?
Yes	2.67	0.063
No	2.58
Have you lost anyone close to you due to a medical error?
Yes	2.64	0.011a
No	2.56
Which do you prefer?
Modern medicine	2.55	< 0.01b
Herbal medicine	2.72

^aP < 0.05.

^bP < 0.01.

COVID-19: Coronavirus disease 2019.

Table 5 Cyberchondria Severity Scale correlations

Characteristics (n = 474)	Cyberchondria Severity Scale mean/5	P value
Age (years)
18-25	2.19	0.07
26-35	2.29
36-45	2.31
46-55	2.07
56-65	1.99
66-75	-
> 75	1.69
Sex
Male	2.27	0.002
Female	2.08
Place of residence
Akkar	2.24	0.023
Baalbeck-El Hermel	2.55
Beirut	2.14
Bekaa	2.16
Mount Lebanon	2.17
Nabatieh	2.13
North Lebanon	2.43
South Lebanon	2.11
Highest level of education
Not educated	1.96	0.174
Entered but didn’t finish high school	2.42
High school diploma	2.11
Bachelor’s degree	2.24
Post graduate degree	2.18
Currently, you are a worker/student in the healthcare field
Yes	2.25	0.159
No	2.16
Monthly income of the family
Less than 500 United States dollars	2.22	0.258
500-1000 United States dollars	2.08
1000-2000 United States dollars	2.18
More than 2000 United States dollars	2.27
Suffering from health conditions
Yes	2.33	0.017
No	2.15
Suffering from mental health conditions
Yes	2.34	< 0.01
No	2.10
Do you trust the COVID-19 vaccine?
Yes	2.14	0.01
No	2.31
Did you take the COVID-19 vaccine?
Yes	2.24	0.809
No	2.21
What was the main reason you took the COVID-19 vaccine?
For my health and to stay safe	2.14	0.296
My parents pushed me to get vaccinated	2.55
It was mandatory at my workplace/university	2.26
In order to travel/go to nightclubs and restaurants that mandate vaccination	2.14
Other reasons	1.92
Where do you usually receive medical care?
Governmental hospitals	2.29	0.384
Private hospitals	2.24
University hospitals	2.19
Private clinic	2.09
Dispensary	2.22
Other sites	2.07
Have you been misdiagnosed before?
Yes	2.30	0.024
No	2.14
Have you been given the wrong treatment before?
Yes	2.25	0.198
No	2.17
Have you been suffering any permanent damage due to a medical error?
Yes	2.29	0.399
No	2.18
Have you lost anyone close to you due to a medical error?
Yes	2.31	0.011
No	2.14
Which do you prefer?
Modern medicine	2.16	0.019
Herbal medicine	2.35

COVID-19: Coronavirus disease 2019.