The relationship between health literacy and preoperative anxiety among surgical patients: A cross-sectional survey study

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine whether there is a relationship between patients' health literacy levels and their preoperative anxiety during the preoperative period. DESIGN: An analytical cross-sectional study. METHODS: The research was conducted with 204 patients hospitalised in the surgical clinics of a hospital between May and December 2023. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a patient information form, the Health Literacy Scale, and the Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale. RESULTS: = 0.123). CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that although health literacy was associated with preoperative anxiety in univariate analyses, its effect was not independent when potential demographic and clinical confounding factors were considered.