Modern health worries and idiopathic environmental intolerance

We conducted two studies to test whether modern health worries (MHWs) were associated with central features of a condition called idiopathic environmental intolerance (IEI) and medical care utilization.

In Study 1, 474 Internet users completed an Internet-based questionnaire that assessed MHWs, IEI features, and medical care utilization. In Study 2, the diagnostic specificity of MHWs was investigated by comparing the level of MHWs of three diagnostic groups: 46 people with IEI, 38 people with somatoform disorder but without IEI, and 46 people with neither IEI nor somatoform disorder.

The good psychometric properties of the MHW scale were confirmed. MHWs were related to various features of IEI, and people who met IEI case criteria showed consistently higher levels of MHWs compared with people without IEI. The link between MHWs and number of doctor visits was mediated by perceived IEI complaints. In Study 2, the MHW scale effectively discriminated the IEI group from the non-IEI groups.

These results suggest that MHWs may contribute to the development of IEI. However, only prospective longitudinal studies will enable us to determine the predictive importance of MHWs for later development of IEI.