The digital trap in the quest for perfect parenting: the relationship between parenting perfectionism and cyberchondria

Abstract Background Cyberchondria, characterized by excessive online health-related information seeking accompanied by increased health anxiety, has been associated with various psychological factors. However, research examining its relationship with parenting-specific characteristics remains limited. This study aimed to examine the association between cyberchondria severity and parental perfectionism and to evaluate the role of socio-demographic variables in this relationship. Methods This quantitative study was conducted using a cross-sectional correlational survey design. Data were collected from 475 mothers with children in early childhood using the Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS), the Multidimensional Parental Perfectionism Scale (MPPS), and a sociodemographic questionnaire. Correlation, regression, and moderation analyses were performed. Moderation effects were tested using the Hayes PROCESS macro (Model 1). Results The findings revealed a significant positive correlation between cyberchondria severity and parental perfectionism. Regression analyses indicated that parental perfectionism was a significant predictor of cyberchondria severity, accounting for a substantial proportion of the variance in the model (R 2 = 0.573). Higher levels of education, employment, income, and the absence of chronic illness were significantly associated with parental perfectionism, whereas age was not significantly associated. Moderation analyses showed that education and income levels significantly strengthened the association between cyberchondria severity and parental perfectionism, indicating that this relationship was more pronounced among individuals with higher socioeconomic status. Employment status and chronic illness did not demonstrate significant moderating effects. Conclusions The findings suggest that greater cyberchondria severity is associated with higher levels of parental perfectionism and that this association varies according to socioeconomic characteristics. In particular, education and income appear to strengthen the relationship between cyberchondria severity and parental perfectionism. These results highlight the importance of considering socioeconomic factors when examining the interplay between online health-information seeking behaviors and parenting-related psychological characteristics.