title: Joint hypermobility, fears, and chocolate consumption.
abstract: Our purpose was to evaluate joint hypermobility, an inherited disorder of the connective tissue significantly associated with anxiety disorders, in a sample of nonclinical students in relation to the frequency of severe fears and consumption of chocolate, coffee, cigarettes, and alcohol. One hundred fifty students completed the Hakim and Grahame Simple Questionnaire to detect hypermobility and the self-administered modified Wolpe Fear Scale (100 items). Severe fears and daily consumption of cigarettes, alcohol, coffee, and chocolate were compared with the hypermobility scores. We found significant differences when comparing severe fears between the groups with and without hypermobility (7.6 vs. 11; p = 0.001), reinforcing the hypothesis that the intensity of fears is greater in subjects with hypermobility. Only the frequency of chocolate intake was significantly higher among subjects with hypermobility (31.2% vs. 51.2%; p = 0.038) and may correspond to attempts of self-treatment of the collagen condition.
authors: Anxiety Unit, INAD-Hospital del Mar, Parc de Salut Mar, Barcelona, Spain. 97590@hospitaldelmar.cat
authors: Guillem
authors: G
authors: Pailhez
authors: Silvia
authors: S
authors: Rosado
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: Bulbena Cabré
authors: Antonio
authors: A
authors: Bulbena
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002099:Cacao; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005239:Fear / Q000187:drug effects / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007593:Joint Instability / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology