[01] Maryam Sofia Ghazali, Faculty of Medicine, Melaka Manipal Medical College, Manipal of Higher Education (MAHE), Melaka, Malaysia. [02] Sonali Jayatilaka, Faculty of Medicine, Melaka Manipal Medical College, Manipal of Higher Education (MAHE), Melaka, Malaysia. [03] Farizal Rizal, Faculty of Medicine, Melaka Manipal Medical College, Manipal of Higher Education (MAHE), Melaka, Malaysia. [04] Liew Shun Feng, Faculty of Medicine, Melaka Manipal Medical College, Manipal of Higher Education (MAHE), Melaka, Malaysia. [05] Binura Liyanage, Faculty of Medicine, Melaka Manipal Medical College, Manipal of Higher Education (MAHE), Melaka, Malaysia.

Hypochondriasis is a medical condition which disseminates slowly into medical students, manifesting fear and concern of one’s self towards their own bodily health. The objective of this study is to instill awareness onto medical students about hypochondriacal disorder, determine the association between gender, ethnicity, religion, nationality, current posting, addictions and the fear of diseases among medical students of Melaka-Manipal Medical College Muar Campus, Malaysia. This was an analytical cross sectional study. Self-administered questionnaires consisting of Health Anxiety Inventory (Short Week) were distributed to students who were studying in semester 6 and semester 7. 67 participants (37.22%) present with hypochondriasis while 113 participants (62.78%) did not present with hypochondriasis. Smokers being one of the independent variables that showed positive association to the presence of hypochondriasis in medical students. It was found that smokers are 5.459 times more likely to suffer from hypochondriasis. Of medical students in our college a significant proportion suffered from hypochondriasis. Students that divulge themselves as smokers showed significant association to hypochondriasis with higher incidence compared to non-smokers. There is no significant association of hypochondriasis with other risk factors such as gender, ethnicity, religion, nationality, current posting and alcohol consumption.

Hypochondriasis, Medical Students, Malaysia

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