Department of Psychology, West Virginia University, WV 26506, USA.
Int Psychogeriatr. 2012 Dec;24(12):1998-2008. doi: 10.1017/S1041610212001329. Epub 2012 Jul 27.
Many older adults have at least one chronic disease and experience greater health problems than young adults. However, little is known about factors other than health that account for health anxiety (HA) among older adults. The overall objective of the present study was to develop a better understanding of HA among older and young adults.
We examined how anxiety-related constructs (anxiety sensitivity, intolerance of uncertainty, anxiety control, and emotion regulation) predict two core components of HA described in the cognitive-behavioral model of HA (illness likelihood and negative consequences) in older and young adults. We also examined the extent to which the predictor variables differentially account for HA in both age groups. Older and young adult participants completed several self-report surveys.
Young adults reported higher levels of HA than older adults. Anxiety sensitivity and reappraisal predicted illness likelihood for older and young adults. Intolerance of uncertainty predicted negative consequences in both age groups. Anxiety sensitivity predicted negative consequences for older adults only. Anxiety control did not predict illness likelihood or negative consequences for either age group.
Results suggest that anxiety sensitivity and intolerance of uncertainty may predispose older and young adults to HA, which is influenced by reappraisal. Implications for the cognitive-behavioral model of HA in both age groups are discussed.
许多老年人至少患有一种慢性病，并且比年轻人经历更多的健康问题。然而，对于除健康以外的因素如何导致老年人出现健康焦虑（HA），人们知之甚少。本研究的总体目标是更好地了解老年人和年轻人的 HA。
我们研究了焦虑相关的结构（焦虑敏感性、不确定性容忍度、焦虑控制和情绪调节）如何预测 HA 的两个核心组成部分，这两个组成部分在 HA 的认知行为模型中有所描述（疾病可能性和负面后果），并研究了预测变量在多大程度上可以区分两个年龄组的 HA。老年和年轻的参与者完成了几项自我报告的调查。
与老年人相比，年轻人报告的 HA 水平更高。焦虑敏感性和重新评估预测了老年人和年轻人的疾病可能性。不确定性容忍度预测了两个年龄组的负面后果。焦虑敏感性仅预测了老年人的负面后果。焦虑控制不能预测两个年龄组的疾病可能性或负面后果。
结果表明，焦虑敏感性和不确定性容忍度可能使老年人和年轻人易患 HA，而重新评估则会影响 HA。讨论了该模型对两个年龄组的认知行为模型的影响。
