Assessment of Knowledge and Anxiety Regarding Spinal Anaesthesia Among Mothers Undergoing Caesarean Section: A Correlational Study in Selected Hospitals, Mangaluru

Abstract

Pregnancy and childbirth are natural physiological events that place considerable physical demands on a woman's body. Allowing women to choose their mode of delivery is an essential part of compassionate and respectful obstetric care, supporting the health of both mother and baby. Caesarean section is a major surgical intervention in obstetrics, with its frequency increasing worldwide. In developing countries, general anaesthesia and spinal anaesthesia are commonly used for caesarean deliveries. Anxiety is a common psychological reaction among patients awaiting surgery, occurring in up to 80% of those facing high-risk operations. This quantitative study aims to evaluate the knowledge and anxiety levels related to spinal anesthesia among mothers undergoing cesarean sections in selected hospitals in Mangalore. The study involved 60 mothers chosen through a non-probability convenience sampling method.
Data collection tools are instruments used to assess knowledge and anxiety about spinal anesthesia among mothers. In this study, the researcher employed a structured knowledge questionnaire and an anxiety level self-evaluation checklist. The results indicated that 42 mothers (70%) had inadequate knowledge, 18 (30%) had moderate knowledge, and none had adequate knowledge regarding spinal anesthesia. Overall, 51 mothers (68%) experienced severe anxiety, 9 (32%) had moderate anxiety, and none had mild anxiety related to spinal anesthesia. Correlation analysis showed no significant relationship (r=0.076, p=0.564) between knowledge scores and anxiety scores among mothers undergoing cesarean section. The null hypothesis was accepted as the p-value was not significant at the 0.05 level. Significant associations were found between knowledge levels and selected demographic variables such as previous family history of cesarean section (p=0.0322), place of residence (p=0.004), and source of information regarding spinal anesthesia (p=0.048). Additionally, there was a significant association between anxiety levels and the number of deliveries (p=0.05).
Interpretation and Conclusion: The researcher concludes that the mothers demonstrated inadequate knowledge about spinal anesthesia and experienced severe anxiety related to the procedure.