The relationship between cyberchondria and fetal health anxiety in pregnant women: a quantitative study

Cyberchondria is a condition characterized by health anxiety that arises after searching for medical information online. This study was conducted to determine the relationship between cyberchondria level and fetal health anxiety in pregnant women. This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted with 230 pregnant women registered at family health centers in a provincial center in southeastern Turkey between October 2025 and January 2026. Data were collected using the Participant Demographic Form, the Fetal Health Anxiety Inventory (FHAI), and the Cyberchondria Severity Scale Short Form (CSS-12). The mean FHAI score of the pregnant women was 20.00 ± 8.6, and the mean total score of the CSS-12 was 29.57 ± 9.3. FHAI levels were found to be significantly higher in those with gestational age of 12 weeks and below ( p < 0.05). Pregnant women who received information from healthcare professionals had lower fetal anxiety scores ( p < 0.05). Furthermore, pregnant women who trusted information from the internet had significantly higher levels of both fetal anxiety and cyberchondria ( p < 0.05). Correlation analysis revealed a weak, positive, and significant relationship between fetal health anxiety and the “Distress” sub-dimension of cyberchondria, whereas the total CSS-12 score was not significantly associated with fetal health anxiety ( r = 0.126, p = 0.056). Pregnant women, especially those in the first trimester who trust information from the internet, experience higher levels of anxiety. The association observed was specific to the distress subdimension rather than to overall cyberchondria, and, given the cross-sectional design, should be interpreted as an association rather than a causal effect. It is recommended that healthcare professionals guide pregnant women towards reliable information sources and focus on managing anxiety in the early weeks of pregnancy.