Pegah Mohaghegh - Assistant Professor of Community and Preventive Medicine, Department of Community Medicine, School of Medicine, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran
Ehsan Abedi - Student of General Medicine, Students Research Committee, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran
Masomeh Sofian - Professor of Infectious Diseases, Department of Infectious Diseases, Infectious Diseases Research Center, School of Medicine, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran
Fatemeh Rafiei - PhD Student of Biostatistics, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Health, Scientific Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Background and aims: The prevalence of coronavirus disease ۲۰۱۹ (COVID-۱۹) resulted in health anxiety among general population and unreasonable referring to health centers. This study aimed to assess health anxiety related to COVID-۱۹ in individuals referring to healthcare centers of Arak, Iran in ۲۰۲۰.   Methods: Using convenient sampling method, the participants of this cross-sectional study were selected from ۱۶ urban health centers of Arak. Salkovskis ۱۸-item Health Anxiety Inventory (HAI-۱۸) was completed by ۳۹۲ participants. The collected data entered in SPSS software version ۲۴ and was analyzed by Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests.   Results: Mean ± SD of total score of health anxiety was ۲۸.۹۶ ± ۷.۶۲. Most participants (۷۴.۷%) had medium anxiety and ۱۹.۱% had high anxiety. The mean of total score of health anxiety was higher in the ۳۰-۵۹ age range, higher education, single people and students. Participants with chronic diseases and symptoms of cold and people who referred to health centers due to COVID-۱۹ screening had a higher anxiety level.   Conclusion: Most people referring to health centers of arak had moderate anxiety. COVID-۱۹-related health anxiety was higher in middle age range, higher education, students, people with chronic diseases, and people with symptoms of common cold.

COVID-۱۹, Health anxiety, SHAI, Short health anxiety inventory, Health centers