Assessment of factors affecting pre-operative anxiety in children

An observational study was conducted to identify the factors affecting pre-operative anxiety in children and to correlate the baseline anxiety with anxiety at parental separation and at induction. One or both parent/s accompanying the child completed state part of the STAI to assess parental anxiety. Data was also collected on various possible predictors of anxiety like- age, father’s and mother’s education, age of the father and the mother, number of siblings and birth order, history related to previous exposure to surgery, age at previous surgery, whether the child has been seen in the PAC clinic and the number of persons accompanying the child to the hospital. The socioeconomic status of the parents was assessed using Aggarwal’s scale. The temperament of the children was measured using Temperament Measurement Schedule.Child’s anxiety was measured using the modified Yale Pre-operative Anxiety scale (m-YPAS) at 3 stress points- baseline, parental separation and at induction.