Health Beliefs about Covid-19 as Predictors of Cyberchondria: Exploring the Role of Information and Personal Factors

Abstract

The present study explore the health beliefs about COVID-19 as predicting the cyberchondria. Furthermore, the study aimed to explore the role of information factors and personal factors in relating health beliefs about COVID-19 and cyberchondria. The current study was Correlational research design in nature. 221 participants (Male=67, & Female=154) with a mean age of 24.71 and SD of 6.12 were approached through online Google form via social networking sites because of COVID-19 lockdown. The findings of study indicated positive association between health belief and cyberchondria. Therefore, those who are concerned about health and have beliefs of being susceptible to COVID are more likely to involve in online health-research. The purpose of the present study was to examine the role of information overload and online information trust in relationship between health beliefs and cyberchondria. The effect of health beliefs and cyberchondria was mediated by online information trust. The findings also suggest that a person’s trust in online information or information overload increases the probability of involving in preventive health behaviors. Furthermore, online information trust along with a person’s perceived COVID-19 severity and susceptibility influence cyberchondria. Self-control and resilience were taken as personal factors. The overall results shows that people with higher perceived susceptibility and had trust in online information may had greater probability to engage in excessive online health searching behavior. The findings of the study suggest that Health professionals could advice people to take reliable information and should propose some reliable sources of information through which person could get excess.