Abstract
Objective
To investigate whether anxiety plays a role in self-recruitment for non-population-based glaucoma screening.
Methods
In a non-population-based pre-publicised trial, self-recruited Caucasian participants were screened for glaucoma, and also completed the Trait Anxiety Inventory and Shortened Health Anxiety Inventory questionnaires. In pre-publicity for the trial, information on risk factors for glaucoma was given. Participants classified as possible glaucoma cases later underwent a detailed glaucoma investigation.
Results
Of the 120 total participants (72 females, 48 males), 12 were considered glaucoma suspects at the screening, although only three (2.5%) were ultimately diagnosed with glaucoma. Health anxiety showed significant correlation with trait anxiety (r=0.525, P<0.001). Trait anxiety was similar for both the genders; this score was significantly below the normal Hungarian population value in women (P<0.001) and at the normal population level in men (P=0.560). In contrast, health anxiety was significantly higher than for both the ‘normal’ and ‘anxious’ reference groups (P<0.001), although smaller than that for hypochondriacs (P<0.001). Participants with pre-existing ocular symptoms, and those who attended because of fear of blindness, had significantly higher trait- and health-anxiety scores (P<0.05 for all comparisons).
Conclusion
In this screening trial, the health anxiety of the self-recruited participants was significantly above normal, whereas the prevalence of glaucoma was within the usual range for a Caucasian population. This suggests that providing pre-publicity information on risk factors for glaucoma does not necessarily increase the prevalence of glaucoma among self-recruited participants in non-population-based screening, as some individuals may participate on account of elevated health anxiety, rather than because of higher potential risk for glaucoma.
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Acknowledgements
The authors thank Márta Tóth for her assistance in the clinical examinations, and Cecilia Hlavács, Kornélia Németh, Katalin Lányi and Nikoletta Pázmándi for their assistance in administration and evaluation of the questionnaires. Supported by Hungarian National Health Grant (ETT) 001/2009 (Dr Holló).
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Holló, G., Kóthy, P., Géczy, A. et al. Health anxiety in a non-population-based, pre-publicised glaucoma screening exercise. Eye 24, 699–705 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/eye.2009.131
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/eye.2009.131
