What impact does pregnancy have on anxiety about health?

Background: A previous study suggests that health anxiety, or preoccupation and fears about ill health, is elevated during pregnancy. However, replication of this result is needed given several methodological weaknesses of the previous research. The current study refined earlier work by assessing health anxiety using two distinct measures and comparing scores to a control group and to established norms for healthy controls.

Prenatal fear of childbirth and anxiety sensitivity.

Objective: Fear of childbirth (FOC) or what is historically referred to as tokophobia (a phobic state where a woman avoids childbirth despite desperately wanting a baby), is known to complicate the delivery process. In this study, the relationship of Anxiety Sensitivity (AS) to FOC was examined given that AS is a risk factor for other fears. Specifically, the contribution of three AS dimensions (physical, psychological or social concerns) relative to other factors (e.

Measurement of continuity of care in cardiac patients: reliability and validity of an in-person questionnaire.

Background: Breaks in continuity of care occur during the care of patients with cardiac conditions, such as congestive heart failure (CHF) and atrial fibrillation (AF), during their hospitalization, the discharge process or follow-up care. Recently, to measure continuity of care for such patients, a comprehensive questionnaire was developed to reflect the cardiac patient's perspective on multifaceted aspects of continuity of care.

Objective: To examine the psychometric properties of an in-person interview questionnaire for the measurement of continuity of care in patients recently hospitalized with CHF or AF.

Measuring continuity of care for cardiac patients: development of a patient self-report questionnaire.

Background: Continuity of care can be a challenge for cardiac patients, many of whom require chronic and complex management from a variety of health care personnel in multiple settings. For health services research, measures are needed that encompass the multifaceted nature of continuity of care for cardiac patients.

Objective: To assess continuity of care from the patient's perspective, a comprehensive self-report instrument of continuity of care for patients with congestive heart failure and atrial fibrillation was developed and validated.

Measures of anxiety: is there a difference in their ability to predict functioning at three-month follow-up among pain patients?

Independent investigators have found that pain is related to health anxiety, trait anxiety, pain-related anxiety, and anxiety sensitivity. To date, the relationship among these anxiety-related constructs has not been studied directly and little is known about their relative ability to predict adjustment to pain over time. This paper presents longitudinal data from measures given to 227 musculoskeletal pain patients.