Prevalence, Determinants, and Correlation of Anxiety With Multiple Risk Factors Among Preoperative Adult Patients at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Saudi Arabia.

Purpose: Preoperative anxiety significantly impacts patients' well-being and surgical outcomes, yet research on this issue is limited in Saudi Arabia, highlighting the need for studies in this cultural context. This study assessed the prevalence of preoperative anxiety and its associated factors among patients undergoing various surgical procedures at a private tertiary hospital in Saudi Arabia.

Design: A cross-sectional descriptive study.

Methods: A total of 385 participants were enrolled. Data collected included demographic information, medical history, procedural characteristics, and anxiety levels measured by the Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS).

Findings: The study found that 42.3% of participants experienced preoperative anxiety. Anxiety was significantly higher among younger participants (P < .0001), females (P < .0001), those with children (P = .043), and individuals with higher education (P = .027) or a medical history (P = .032). Anxiety levels were also higher among those undergoing general anesthesia (P = .029), specifically those in general surgery, otolaryngology, and urology (P = .024). Some of the key factors contributing to anxiety included concerns about procedural knowledge (APAIS score: 17.00 ± 7.05), the use of needles (17.25 ± 6.17), postoperative complications (15.13 ± 5.33), and pain post-op (15.45 ± 5.97), and intra-op (18.14 ± 5.33). Moreover, participants who received information from their doctors had lower anxiety scores (P = .024).

Conclusions: This study found a high prevalence of preoperative anxiety among surgical patients in Saudi Arabia, driven by various factors. Effective preoperative education and anxiety management, including detailed explanations of procedures, personalized anxiety-reduction techniques, and addressing cultural barriers, were shown to enhance patient well-being and surgical outcomes. Future research should assess the effectiveness of these strategies to improve preoperative care practices.