Understanding health anxiety among community dwelling seniors with varying degrees of frailty

Objective: In this study, we attempted to disentangle the extent to which older age vs physical health problems contribute to health anxiety. Thus, we compared the levels of health anxiety among younger adults and seniors, with either low or high levels of frailty. Predictors of health anxiety in seniors were explored. Methods: Forty-nine seniors with high levels of frailty were compared with 63 seniors with low levels of frailty and 130 younger adults. Comparisons were made on the Illness Attitudes Scale (IAS) and on a Medically Adjusted Illness Attitudes Scale, an adapted version ensuring scores reflect health anxiety, and not greater illness. Seniors also completed measures of frailty, pain, depression, trait anxiety and coping. Results: Results varied depending on the health anxiety measure. Using the traditional IAS, seniors with high frailty experienced greater levels of health anxiety than seniors with low-frailty and younger adults. Using the medically adjusted version, seniors with high frailty experienced similar levels of heath anxiety compared with younger adults; seniors with low frailty had the lowest levels of health anxiety. Using multiple regression analysis, emotional preoccupation and trait anxiety uniquely predicted health anxiety among seniors. Conclusions: Researchers and clinicians should ensure that health anxiety measures actually assess health anxiety and not physical illness. Using an appropriate health anxiety measure, the results suggest seniors with relatively fewer health problems may experience reduced health anxiety compared with other older adults and younger adults. The results are considered in the context of research on aging and anxiety. Implications for clinical practice and future research are discussed.