Prevalence and Predictors of Anxiety among Surgical Patients in the Preoperative Holding Area of National Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria: A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND: High preoperative anxiety in surgical patients impacts anesthetic management, postoperative pain scores, patient satisfaction, and postoperative morbidity. The Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS) offers an attractive option for the assessment of preoperative anxiety on account of its brevity and validity. AIM: Our aim was to determine the prevalence and predictors of preoperative anxiety in our surgical patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study among surgical patients by means of interviewer-administered structured questionnaire. The questionnaire incorporated both the APAIS and numeric rating scale for anxiety instruments, with the patients’ demographic and clinical details. The data collection was carried out from January 2021 to October 2022. Data entry and analysis were done using IBM Statistical Product and Service Solutions, statistical software version 25. Continuous variables were summarized using mean and standard deviation, while categorical variables were presented using frequencies and proportions. Chi square test, Student t test, correlation analysis, and multivariate analysis using binary logistic regression were used in the analysis. Statistical significance was determined by a P value of <0.05. RESULTS: A total of 451 patients participated in the study, with a mean age of 39.4 ± 14.4 years. The prevalence of clinically significant anxiety was 24.4% (110/451). The predictors of high preoperative anxiety in our cohort were female gender, tertiary education attainment, lack of previous surgical experience, ASA grade 3, and patients scheduled for major surgery. CONCLUSION: A substantial proportion of the surgical patients experienced clinically significant preoperative anxiety.