Does health anxiety and vaccine concern predict self-reported adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination?-A Danish national cohort study

Kristoffer Torp Hansen; Fiona Kusk Povlsen; Bodil Hammer Bech; Stefan Nygaard Hansen; Charlotte Ulrikka Rask; Per Fink; Henrik Nielsen; Thomas Meinertz Dantoft; Sanne Marie Thysen; Dorte Rytter

doi:10.1016/j.puhe.2024.10.007

Does health anxiety and vaccine concern predict self-reported adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination?-A Danish national cohort study

Kristoffer Torp Hansen^*, Fiona Kusk Povlsen, Bodil Hammer Bech, Stefan Nygaard Hansen, Charlotte Ulrikka Rask, Per Fink, Henrik Nielsen, Thomas Meinertz Dantoft, Sanne Marie Thysen, Dorte Rytter

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: The nocebo effect refers to an expectation of sickness that leads to sickness in the expectant. Studies have found COVID-19 vaccines to be associated with the nocebo effect. However, the literature in this field is sparse yet important with the continuation of booster vaccines.

STUDY DESIGN: National cohort study.

METHODS: This study used data from the Danish national cohort "BiCoVac", which contains self-reported information on both health anxiety and specific COVID-19 vaccine concern, as well as 19 systemic AEs following COVID-19 vaccination. Simple and multiple logistic regression was used to estimate the association between health anxiety and specific COVID-19 vaccine concern with having one or more systemic AEs following COVID-19 vaccination. Inverse probability weights were used to compensate for the initial dropout and loss to follow-up.

RESULTS: Of the 85,080 participants in the study, 4 % reported health anxiety, 30 % reported specific COVID-19 vaccine concern, and 26 % one or more systemic AEs following vaccination. After adjusting for covariates, participants with health anxiety had higher odds of reporting one or more systemic AEs following vaccination compared to those without (OR, 1·21 CI 95 % [1·10; 1·33]). For specific COVID-19 vaccine concern, the OR was 1·51 CI 95 % [1·45; 1·58].

CONCLUSIONS: Participants with specific COVID-19 vaccine concern had higher odds of reporting one or more systemic AEs following vaccination compared with those who had no specific COVID-19 vaccine concern. There might be a potential to reduce AEs, with positive framing of AEs and information about nocebo. Reporting of AEs was also associated with health anxiety, but to a lesser degree.

Original language	English
Journal	Public Health
Volume	237
Pages (from-to)	299-306
Number of pages	8
ISSN	0033-3506
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2024.10.007
Publication status	Published - Dec 2024

Keywords

COVID-19 vaccination
vaccine concern
health anxiety
nocebo
adverse events

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Cite this

@article{240a746a7215441a83cf57bb9518b530,

title = "Does health anxiety and vaccine concern predict self-reported adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination?-A Danish national cohort study",

abstract = "OBJECTIVES: The nocebo effect refers to an expectation of sickness that leads to sickness in the expectant. Studies have found COVID-19 vaccines to be associated with the nocebo effect. However, the literature in this field is sparse yet important with the continuation of booster vaccines.STUDY DESIGN: National cohort study.METHODS: This study used data from the Danish national cohort {"}BiCoVac{"}, which contains self-reported information on both health anxiety and specific COVID-19 vaccine concern, as well as 19 systemic AEs following COVID-19 vaccination. Simple and multiple logistic regression was used to estimate the association between health anxiety and specific COVID-19 vaccine concern with having one or more systemic AEs following COVID-19 vaccination. Inverse probability weights were used to compensate for the initial dropout and loss to follow-up.RESULTS: Of the 85,080 participants in the study, 4 % reported health anxiety, 30 % reported specific COVID-19 vaccine concern, and 26 % one or more systemic AEs following vaccination. After adjusting for covariates, participants with health anxiety had higher odds of reporting one or more systemic AEs following vaccination compared to those without (OR, 1·21 CI 95 % [1·10; 1·33]). For specific COVID-19 vaccine concern, the OR was 1·51 CI 95 % [1·45; 1·58].CONCLUSIONS: Participants with specific COVID-19 vaccine concern had higher odds of reporting one or more systemic AEs following vaccination compared with those who had no specific COVID-19 vaccine concern. There might be a potential to reduce AEs, with positive framing of AEs and information about nocebo. Reporting of AEs was also associated with health anxiety, but to a lesser degree.",

keywords = "COVID-19 vaccination, vaccine concern, health anxiety, nocebo, adverse events",

author = "Hansen, {Kristoffer Torp} and Povlsen, {Fiona Kusk} and Bech, {Bodil Hammer} and Hansen, {Stefan Nygaard} and Rask, {Charlotte Ulrikka} and Per Fink and Henrik Nielsen and Dantoft, {Thomas Meinertz} and Thysen, {Sanne Marie} and Dorte Rytter",

year = "2024",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1016/j.puhe.2024.10.007",

language = "English",

volume = "237",

pages = "299--306",

journal = "Public Health",

issn = "0033-3506",

publisher = "W.B.Saunders Co. Ltd.",

}

Does health anxiety and vaccine concern predict self-reported adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination?-A Danish national cohort study. / Hansen, Kristoffer Torp; Povlsen, Fiona Kusk; Bech, Bodil Hammer et al.
In: Public Health, Vol. 237, 12.2024, p. 299-306.

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Does health anxiety and vaccine concern predict self-reported adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination?-A Danish national cohort study

AU - Hansen, Kristoffer Torp

AU - Povlsen, Fiona Kusk

AU - Bech, Bodil Hammer

AU - Hansen, Stefan Nygaard

AU - Rask, Charlotte Ulrikka

AU - Fink, Per

AU - Nielsen, Henrik

AU - Dantoft, Thomas Meinertz

AU - Thysen, Sanne Marie

AU - Rytter, Dorte

PY - 2024/12

Y1 - 2024/12

N2 - OBJECTIVES: The nocebo effect refers to an expectation of sickness that leads to sickness in the expectant. Studies have found COVID-19 vaccines to be associated with the nocebo effect. However, the literature in this field is sparse yet important with the continuation of booster vaccines.STUDY DESIGN: National cohort study.METHODS: This study used data from the Danish national cohort "BiCoVac", which contains self-reported information on both health anxiety and specific COVID-19 vaccine concern, as well as 19 systemic AEs following COVID-19 vaccination. Simple and multiple logistic regression was used to estimate the association between health anxiety and specific COVID-19 vaccine concern with having one or more systemic AEs following COVID-19 vaccination. Inverse probability weights were used to compensate for the initial dropout and loss to follow-up.RESULTS: Of the 85,080 participants in the study, 4 % reported health anxiety, 30 % reported specific COVID-19 vaccine concern, and 26 % one or more systemic AEs following vaccination. After adjusting for covariates, participants with health anxiety had higher odds of reporting one or more systemic AEs following vaccination compared to those without (OR, 1·21 CI 95 % [1·10; 1·33]). For specific COVID-19 vaccine concern, the OR was 1·51 CI 95 % [1·45; 1·58].CONCLUSIONS: Participants with specific COVID-19 vaccine concern had higher odds of reporting one or more systemic AEs following vaccination compared with those who had no specific COVID-19 vaccine concern. There might be a potential to reduce AEs, with positive framing of AEs and information about nocebo. Reporting of AEs was also associated with health anxiety, but to a lesser degree.

AB - OBJECTIVES: The nocebo effect refers to an expectation of sickness that leads to sickness in the expectant. Studies have found COVID-19 vaccines to be associated with the nocebo effect. However, the literature in this field is sparse yet important with the continuation of booster vaccines.STUDY DESIGN: National cohort study.METHODS: This study used data from the Danish national cohort "BiCoVac", which contains self-reported information on both health anxiety and specific COVID-19 vaccine concern, as well as 19 systemic AEs following COVID-19 vaccination. Simple and multiple logistic regression was used to estimate the association between health anxiety and specific COVID-19 vaccine concern with having one or more systemic AEs following COVID-19 vaccination. Inverse probability weights were used to compensate for the initial dropout and loss to follow-up.RESULTS: Of the 85,080 participants in the study, 4 % reported health anxiety, 30 % reported specific COVID-19 vaccine concern, and 26 % one or more systemic AEs following vaccination. After adjusting for covariates, participants with health anxiety had higher odds of reporting one or more systemic AEs following vaccination compared to those without (OR, 1·21 CI 95 % [1·10; 1·33]). For specific COVID-19 vaccine concern, the OR was 1·51 CI 95 % [1·45; 1·58].CONCLUSIONS: Participants with specific COVID-19 vaccine concern had higher odds of reporting one or more systemic AEs following vaccination compared with those who had no specific COVID-19 vaccine concern. There might be a potential to reduce AEs, with positive framing of AEs and information about nocebo. Reporting of AEs was also associated with health anxiety, but to a lesser degree.

KW - COVID-19 vaccination

KW - vaccine concern

KW - health anxiety

KW - nocebo

KW - adverse events

U2 - 10.1016/j.puhe.2024.10.007

DO - 10.1016/j.puhe.2024.10.007

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 39481186

SN - 0033-3506

VL - 237

SP - 299

EP - 306

JO - Public Health

JF - Public Health

ER -

Does health anxiety and vaccine concern predict self-reported adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination?-A Danish national cohort study

Abstract

Keywords

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