Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences Epidemiology and Health System Journal 2980-7891 8 1 2021 01 01 Evaluating COVID-19 Related Health Anxiety Among Individuals Referring to Urban Health Centers in Arak, Iran: A Cross-sectional Study 3 8 10.34172/ijer.2021.02 EN Pegah Mohaghegh https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5679-9796 Ehsan Abedi https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6836-2348 Masomeh Sofian https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8564-3659 Fatemeh Rafiei https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1303-8660 Journal Article 10.34172/ijer.2021.02 2020 10 20 2020 11 25 Background and aims: The prevalence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) resulted in health anxiety among general population and unreasonable referring to health centers. This study aimed to assess health anxiety related to COVID-19 in individuals referring to healthcare centers of Arak, Iran in 2020. Methods: Using convenient sampling method, the participants of this cross-sectional study were selected from 16 urban health centers of Arak. Salkovskis 18-item Health Anxiety Inventory (HAI-18) was completed by 392 participants. The collected data entered in SPSS software version 24 and was analyzed by Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Results: Mean ± SD of total score of health anxiety was 28.96 ± 7.62. Most participants (74.7%) had medium anxiety and 19.1% had high anxiety. The mean of total score of health anxiety was higher in the 30-59 age range, higher education, single people and students. Participants with chronic diseases and symptoms of cold and people who referred to health centers due to COVID-19 screening had a higher anxiety level. Conclusion: Most people referring to health centers of arak had moderate anxiety. COVID-19-related health anxiety was higher in middle age range, higher education, students, people with chronic diseases, and people with symptoms of common cold.