Preoperative Anxiety among Adult Elective Surgery Patients at a Tertiary-Level Hospital in Bangladesh

Abstract

Objective: The study aimed to assess the preoperative anxiety among adult elective surgery patients at a tertiary-level hospital in Bangladesh. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study design was employed. Conveniently, 112 participants were recruited from Chattogram Medical College Hospital in Chattogram. A face-to-face interview was conducted to collect data utilizing a socio-demographic questionnaire and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) scale. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the collected data. Results: The average age of the participants was 41.19 ± 14.13 years. Most of the participants (88.4%) exhibited severe preoperative anxiety.  Substantial negative associations were identified between age (r = -0.435, p = .000) and family size (r = -0.281, p = .003) and preoperative anxiety. Preoperative anxiety was markedly elevated in female, those with higher educational level, married participants, members of nuclear families and patients undergoing cholecystectomy. Conclusion: The findings of the study would be useful to provide significant insights for health policymakers to formulate strategies aimed to reducing preoperative anxiety among adult elective surgery patients. The study recommends nurses should routinely evaluate the anxiety levels of patients undergoing elective surgery, providing prompt psychological support through preoperative counseling, relaxation techniques, patient education, and psychological support services.