Prediction of Health Anxiety Based on Unhealthy Eating Behaviors and Health-Promoting Lifestyle

The present study aimed to investigate the predictive role of unhealthy eating behaviors and health-promoting lifestyle in explaining levels of health anxiety among members of the Overeaters Anonymous Association in Isfahan during 1403. This descriptive-correlational study was conducted on 400 members of the Overeaters Anonymous Association in Isfahan, selected through random convenient sampling. Data were collected using the Health Anxiety Questionnaire (Short Form) by Salkovskis and Warwick (2002), the Eating Attitudes Test-20 by Garner and Garfinkel (1979), and the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile-II by Walker and Hill-Polerecky (1997). All instruments had established validity and reliability in Iranian populations. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize demographic and main study variables. Pearson correlation coefficients examined associations between health anxiety and predictor variables, and multiple linear regression analysis was applied to assess the predictive power of unhealthy eating behaviors and health-promoting lifestyle for health anxiety. All analyses were conducted in SPSS-26 with a significance level set at p < 0.01. The results showed that health anxiety was positively and significantly correlated with unhealthy eating behaviors (r = .54, p < .01) and negatively and significantly correlated with health-promoting lifestyle (r = −.48, p < .01). Multiple regression analysis revealed that the model was significant, F(2, 397) = 83.27, p < .01, explaining 39% of the variance in health anxiety (R²adj = .39). Unhealthy eating behaviors significantly and positively predicted health anxiety (B = 0.71, β = .46, t = 8.97, p < .01), whereas health-promoting lifestyle significantly and negatively predicted health anxiety (B = −0.39, β = −.38, t = −7.83, p < .01). The findings indicate that disordered eating patterns are a significant risk factor for elevated health anxiety, while engagement in health-promoting behaviors serves as a protective factor. Targeted interventions that reduce unhealthy eating behaviors and strengthen health-promoting lifestyle habits may be effective in mitigating health anxiety in at-risk populations.