The Differences in Pre-Caesarean Anxiety Levels Between Primigravida and Multigravida Patients

Background: Pre-operative anxiety before caesarean section is frequently encountered and may adversely affect the childbirth experience and maternal health outcome. Different groups of patients such as primigravida and multigravida women may experience varying levels of anxiety, which could impact their readiness for surgery and recovery. Purpose: The present study attempted to identify differences in the preoperative anxiety levels among primigravida and multigravida patients scheduled for a caesarean section. Methods: Forty-four respondents were recruited into this study; they were further divided into two groups of 22 primigravida and 22 multigravida patients, from a hospital in Indonesia. The anxiety levels were measured by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-S (STAI-S), which measures situational anxiety at a given moment. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to analyze the data in order to establish whether there is any significant difference between the two groups. Results: From statistical analysis, the obtained result was p-value=0.066 (p>0.05). Therefore, there is no significant difference in pre-caesarean anxiety levels between primigravida and multigravida patients. Conclusion: The findings, therefore, suggest there is no statistically significant difference in preoperative anxiety levels between both groups; however, the outcome might be affected by some social support, past experiences, and psychological factors which were not taken into consideration in this study. The study indicates a need for individualized approaches to manage anxiety for caesarean delivery, irrespective of the pregnancy condition.