Parental Digital Searching of Health Information in the Context of the Preschooler’s Health: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Health Anxiety, by proxy, describes the pre-occupation with excessive worries about other people's health, especially patients' children, in the absence of minimal somatic symptoms. The study's main objective was to determine Health Anxiety by Proxy (HAP) among the parents of preschoolers attending the Paediatric OPD at selected hospitals. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional research design was used. Sixty samples that fulfilled the inclusion criteria were selected using purposive sampling. After getting consent from the samples, self-structured questionnaires containing the demographic variables and Katrine Ingeman et al. (2021), The Health Anxiety by Proxy Scale (HAPYS), were used to assess the health anxiety of the parents regarding their child's illness. Data analysis was done using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: The Assessment of Health Anxiety By - Proxy (HAP) among the parents of pre-schoolers revealed that 13 (22%) had mild, 39 (65%) had moderate, and 8 (13%) had severe Health Anxiety By - Proxy (HAP). The study concluded that most of the parents had anxiety about their child's health. So early awareness about health anxiety and measures to reduce it will help the parents to manage and overcome health anxiety, allowing the parents to embrace parenthood with confidence and preserve their mental health.