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Health Anxiety and Its Correlations with Self-Perceived Risk and Attitude on COVID-19 among Malaysian Healthcare Workers during the Pandemic

Author

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  • Hajar Mohd Salleh Sahimi

    (Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia)

  • Nazirah Azman

    (Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia)

  • Nik Ruzyanei Nik Jaafar

    (Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia)

  • Tuti Iryani Mohd Daud

    (Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia)

  • Azlin Baharudin

    (Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia)

  • Ahmad Khaldun Ismail

    (Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia)

  • Akramul Zikri Abdul Malek

    (Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 50586, Malaysia)

  • Mohd Rohaizat Hassan

    (Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia)

  • Azmawati Mohammed Nawi

    (Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia)

Abstract

Healthcare workers (HCW) are exposed to health-related anxiety in times of pandemic as they are considered to have a high risk of being infected whilst being the vital workforce to manage the outbreak. This study determined the factors that influence health anxiety and its extent in correlations with perceived risk, knowledge, attitude, and practice of HCW. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted on a total of 709 HCW from both public and private healthcare facilities who completed a set of questionnaires on sociodemographic data, knowledge, attitude, and practice of HCW on COVID-19, and health anxiety traits assessed using the short version Health Anxiety Inventory (HAI). Multiple linear regression (adjusted R 2 = 0.06) revealed respondents with higher perceived risk for COVID-19 significantly predicted higher HAI scores (beta 1.281, p < 0.001, 95%, CI: 0.64, 1.92), and those with a higher cautious attitude towards COVID-19 significantly predicted higher HAI scores (beta 0.686, p < 0.001, 95%CI: 0.35, 1.02). Healthcare workers’ perceived risk and cautious attitude towards COVID-19 might be potentially influenced by management of the sources and approaches to the dissemination of information of the pandemic. The implementation of certain measures that minimize the infection risk and its related anxiety is important to preserve both their physical and psychological wellbeing.

Suggested Citation

  • Hajar Mohd Salleh Sahimi & Nazirah Azman & Nik Ruzyanei Nik Jaafar & Tuti Iryani Mohd Daud & Azlin Baharudin & Ahmad Khaldun Ismail & Akramul Zikri Abdul Malek & Mohd Rohaizat Hassan & Azmawati Mohamm, 2021. "Health Anxiety and Its Correlations with Self-Perceived Risk and Attitude on COVID-19 among Malaysian Healthcare Workers during the Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-13, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:9:p:4879-:d:548462
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Sarah Dryhurst & Claudia R. Schneider & John Kerr & Alexandra L. J. Freeman & Gabriel Recchia & Anne Marthe van der Bles & David Spiegelhalter & Sander van der Linden, 2020. "Risk perceptions of COVID-19 around the world," Journal of Risk Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(7-8), pages 994-1006, August.
    2. Luke Sy-Cherng Woon & Hatta Sidi & Nik Ruzyanei Nik Jaafar & Mohammad Farris Iman Leong Bin Abdullah, 2020. "Mental Health Status of University Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Post–Movement Lockdown Assessment," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(24), pages 1-20, December.
    3. Caroline Rudisill, 2013. "How do we handle new health risks? Risk perception, optimism, and behaviors regarding the H1N1 virus," Journal of Risk Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(8), pages 959-980, September.
    4. Xiao-Fei Xie & Eric Stone & Rui Zheng & Ruo-Gu Zhang, 2011. "The 'Typhoon Eye Effect’: determinants of distress during the SARS epidemic," Journal of Risk Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(9), pages 1091-1107, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Nurazah Ismail & Ahmad Izzat Tajjudin & Hafiz Jaafar & Nik Ruzyanei Nik Jaafar & Azlin Baharudin & Normala Ibrahim, 2021. "The Relationship between Internet Addiction, Internet Gaming and Anxiety among Medical Students in a Malaysian Public University during COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-12, November.
    2. Christoph Lindner & Ibolya Kotta & Eszter Eniko Marschalko & Kinga Szabo & Kinga Kalcza-Janosi & Jan Retelsdorf, 2022. "Increased Risk Perception, Distress Intolerance and Health Anxiety in Stricter Lockdowns: Self-Control as a Key Protective Factor in Early Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-22, April.
    3. Nur Iwana Abdul Taib & Nik Ruzyanei Nik Jaafar & Nazirah Azman & Mohammad Farris Iman Leong Bin Abdullah & Nurul Ain Mohamad Kamal & Azlin Baharudin & Muhammad Najib Bin Abdullah & Suresh Kumar Chidam, 2023. "Stigma, Sociodemographic Factors, and Clinical Factors Associated with Psychological Distress among COVID-19 Survivors during the Convalescence Period: A Multi-Centre Study in Malaysia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-13, February.
    4. Natasha Subhas & Nicholas Tze-Ping Pang & Wei-Cheng Chua & Assis Kamu & Chong-Mun Ho & Isabel Shamini David & William Wei-Liang Goh & Yogaraja Indran Gunasegaran & Kit-Aun Tan, 2021. "The Cross-Sectional Relations of COVID-19 Fear and Stress to Psychological Distress among Frontline Healthcare Workers in Selangor, Malaysia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-11, September.

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