Prevalence of Cyberchondriasis and Its Association with Internet Usage Patterns Among Medical Students in Visakhapatnam: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Cyberchondria is an increasingly dangerous public health problem in the digital era. The internet provides rapid and easy access to information about health, but unregulated search can be an increase of health anxiety, which can cause distress, anxiety and misinterpretation of symptoms. Although medical students are “expert” learners, they are very prone to be subjected to high academic load and exposure to digital media at all times. The aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of cyberchondriasis among the medical students from Visakhapatnam, measure the intensity of the various domains of cyberchondriasis and explore its relationship with the socio-demographic variables and the use of the internet. Material and Methods: The study was observational, analytical, cross-sectional and was conducted in a medical college in the town of Visakhapatnam with a sample size of 360 medical students from 2nd, 3rd and 4th year of study, using the Probability Proportional to Sample Size (PPSS) and Simple Random Sampling (SRS) techniques. The data were collected electronically from Google Forms with a pre-tested questionnaire regarding the socio-economic status (Modified BG Prasad Scale), Internet usage pattern and demographic data. Cyberchondria severity was evaluated using the 15-item Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS-15), which assesses five distinct domains: excessiveness, compulsion, distress, reassurance, and mistrust. Statistical associations were analyzed using Chi-square tests. Results: The overall prevalence of cyberchondriasis among the medical students was 71.67 %, with 58.61% experiencing mild symptoms and 13.06% experiencing moderate symptoms. Among socio-demographic variables, socioeconomic status showed a highly statistically significant association (p < 0.001), with the highest prevalence observed in lower (100%) and lower-middle-class (90.91%) segments. No significant associations were found with gender, age, academic year, or residential status (p > 0.05). Regarding internet usage patterns, a higher frequency of searches (>10 times per week), longer daily search durations (>2 hours), and searching during off-hours (late nights and weekends) were all strongly associated with increased cyberchondria severity (p < 0.001). Medical websites (47.33%) and social media platforms (24.75%) were the most utilized sources, primarily for investigating symptoms and diagnoses (32%). Academic performance did not significantly influence the likelihood of cyberchondriasis (p = 0.86). Conclusion: Cyberchondria is highly prevalent among medical students in this regional population, profoundly driven by search frequency, duration, and timing rather than academic performance. Students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are particularly vulnerable. There is a critical need for targeted mental health interventions, digital literacy programs, and counseling services to encourage structured internet use, mitigate health-related anxieties, and support student well-being.

Keywords: Cyberchondria, Health Anxiety, Socio-economic status, Internet Usage Patterns, Medical students, Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS-15).