Fear, anxiety, and knowledge levels of women who underwent gynecologic surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the fear, anxiety, and knowledge level in women who underwent gynecological surgical procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 188 women who underwent a gynecologic surgical operation in Muğla, Turkey. Data were collected by using demographics and obstetric detail form, questionnaire on knowledge, attitudes, and practice toward COVID-19, and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-I (STAI-I).

Results: Most of the women perceived their surgical process as very urgent. Women felt fear mostly for being infected with the virus, and they were afraid of transmitting COVID-19 to another one. The COVID-19 knowledge scores of women who had undergone cancer surgery were statistically significantly higher than others (p=0.017). The STAI-I scores of women increased as their COVID-19 knowledge scores increased (p<0.05).

Conclusion: This study demonstrated that women were afraid of COVID-19 infection during gynecological operation and due to hospitalization, sociodemographic characteristics affected the knowledge levels about COVID-19 infection, and the anxiety levels of the women. Planning appropriate interventions to decrease the fear and anxiety of women who undergo gynecological surgery during the pandemic is important to ensure that women adhere to their treatment and follow-up in the postoperative period.