Association between somatic symptoms and modern health worries

Modern health worries (MHWs) refer to perceived risk to personal health from technological changes and features of modern life, and is associated with health outcomes. The present objective was to test the hypotheses of (i) associations between MHWs and a global measure of typical somatization symptoms, referred to as somatic symptom distress, and (ii) associations between MHWs and a broad range of specific typical somatization symptoms and eye/skin and airway symptoms.

Cross-sectional population-based data were used. Validated instruments were used to assess MHWs (Modern Health Worries Scale), typical somatization symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire 15-item Somatic Symptom Severity Scale, PHQ-15), eye/skin and airway symptoms (Environmental Hypersensitivity Symptom Inventory), depression and anxiety (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale). Multivariate linear regression analyses were conducted with MHWs as dependent variable, symptoms as independent variables, and background variables, anxiety and depression as confounding variables.

When controlled for background variables, MHWs were statistically significantly, but only very weakly, associated with global PHQ-15 score, most of the specific typical somatization symptoms, and eye/skin and airway symptoms. When controlled also for depression and anxiety, the associations were statistically significant, but even more weakly associated with global PHQ-15 score and most of the specific symptoms.

The results suggest a very small increased risk of somatic symptom distress and related specific symptoms in MHW, and that depression and anxiety are confounding variables in these associations.