Assessment of Environmental Worry in Health-related Settings: Re-evaluation and Modification of an Environmental Worry Scale

Aim of the study was to analyse content and structure of the standraadised environmental worry scale (EWS, acc. to Hodapp et al. 1996). The relevance of individual environmental worry in the context of reported health complaints in environmental patients with self reported multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) was another focus of the study. The health status was assessed with the help of the SF-36 questionnaire (health-related quality of life; Ware et al. 1998). Patients (n=227) were examined in the scope of a multicentrer study on MCS granted by the Federal Environmental Agency Germany. The reference group consisted of 161 participants, who were examined during environmental studies between 1999 and 2002. Factor analysis yielded two components, "personal" and "general" environmental worry. The results show that it is reasonable to calculate quotients between these components in order to draw a conclusion on the structure, i.e. the quality of worry, in addition to analysing the absolute magnitude of worry. Further statistical analysis confirmed that high personal worry made self reporting MCS more likely, whereas high general worry made it less likely. Applying the revised scale and analysing the quality as well as the quantity of environmental worry enables adequate consideration of worry in medical consultation of patients and in public health settings.JRC.G.2-Support to external securit