Factors Associated with Preoperative Anxiety

Background: Preoperative anxiety can lead to physiological, psychological, and clinical complications, such as increased stress, heightened pain sensitivity, prolonged recovery time, and a higher risk of postoperative complications. It is therefore essential to prevent anxiety in surgical patients. The objective of this study was to identify factors associated with preoperative anxiety among patients scheduled for surgery. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study over a three-month period, during which we included 370 patients scheduled for surgical intervention. The Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS) was used to assess preoperative anxiety. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to identify factors associated with preoperative anxiety (95% CI, alpha = 0.05). Results: The mean age of patients was (42.6 ± 17) years, with a male predominance (56.8% vs. 43.2%). The prevalence of preoperative anxiety was 47% (n = 174). No prior exposure to anesthesia (AOR = 2.1; 95% CI: 1.3 - 3.4; p = 0.002), the use of general anesthesia (AOR = 2.9; 95% CI: 2.8 - 3.1; p = 0.002), the complete absence of explanation regarding the surgical indication (AOR = 9.3; 95% CI: 1.3 - 24.4; p = 0.009), and fear of death (AOR = 3.5; 95% CI: 1.2 - 10.6; p = 0.03) significantly increased the risk of preoperative anxiety. Conclusion: Developing targeted communication strategies focusing on previous anesthesia experience, the type of anesthesia, the surgical indication, and patients’ fears related to death, awakening, and disability could significantly reduce preoperative anxiety.