Assessing The Effect Of Cyberchondria On Eating Disorders And Chronic Diseases Among University Students (18-30 Years) At Superior University, Lahore.

Abstract

Continuous online searching which paradoxically raises health anxiety and causes health-related issues, either chronic health problems or dysfunctional eating habits, is what is referred to as cyberchondria. Cyberchondria is a contemporary disorder that is growing by the day because of excessive usage of technology. This research paper embraced a quantitative cross-sectional research design, which was measured through a structured questionnaire with four sections formulated on validated measurement scales, such as the Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS), Eating Disorder Questionnaire, and Chronic Disease Self-efficacy Scale. The target population for this study was students from Superior University aged between 18 – 30 years. The statistical analysis of this research revealed a strong association of cyberchondria in eating habits and chronic diseases among university students aged between 18 and 30 years (p<0.05). The post-health search anxiety and food-related cognitive interference (p=0.003), conflicting online information and impaired concentration (p=0.001), health anxiety and restrictive eating behaviors (p=0.018) were significantly related. In addition, over-searching on the different symptoms of the disease was also associated with low self-esteem (p=0.012) and with body dissatisfaction (p=0.013). In general, the results show a high correlation of cyberchondria with eating habits, cognitive performance, and the risk of chronic diseases among college students. Overall, this study has provided useful insight into assessing the effects of cyberchondria on eating habits and chronic diseases among university students. The results indicate that proper health information should be encouraged and a balanced diet should be embraced to ensure their healthy wellbeing and to avoid stress and anxiety.