Heterogeneity of health anxiety in patients following rabies exposure: a latent profile analysis.

INTRODUCTION

This study aims to identify the various forms of health anxiety in patients exposed to rabies, together with the characteristics and factors influencing the different categories.

METHODS

A convenience sampling method was used to recruit patients with rabies exposure treated in the emergency department of a tertiary Grade A hospital in Nanning from January 2024 and April 2025. Data were collected using a general information questionnaire, the Short Health Anxiety Inventory, the Chinese version of the Comprehensive Health Literacy Measurement Scale, and the Perceived Social Support Scale. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used for identifying and classifying health anxiety in patients. Univariate and unordered multinomial logistic regression analyses were employed to explore the characteristics and factors influencing health anxiety in the various classifications.

RESULTS

Two hundred and twenty-six patients who had been exposed to rabies were enrolled. The LPA results indicated a division of health anxiety into four potential categories, namely, the low-level alleviation (20.30%), low-level fluctuation (31.90%), medium-level fluctuation (32.30%), and high-level maintenance (15.50%) types. Health literacy, perceived social support, educational level, age, medical payment method, and exposure grade were identified as factors influencing these categories of patient health anxiety (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

There is heterogeneity in the health anxiety of patients after rabies exposure, suggesting that it is necessary to take a differentiated clinical approach. These findings highlight the importance of stratified psychological interventions and targeted health education programs for patients exposed to rabies, particularly among individuals with limited health literacy and socioeconomic resources.