Anxiety levels and associated factors in children and their parents prior to adenotonsillectomy.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine preoperative anxiety levels and associated factors in children undergoing adenotonsillectomy and their parents.

DESIGN

Descriptive, cross-sectional.

METHODS

One hundred fifty-one child-parent dyads were enrolled between February and July 2025 at a city hospital in Ankara, Türkiye. Children were aged 5-12 years and scheduled for elective adenotonsillectomy. Data were collected using the Modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale (mYPAS), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-State (STAI-State), and a sociodemographic questionnaire. Multivariable linear and binary logistic regression analyses identified factors independently associated with children's preoperative anxiety.

RESULTS

Mean parental age was 34.90 ± 6.20 years; mean child age was 6.99 ± 2.24 years. The mean mYPAS score was 44.55 ± 13.30; 62.3% of children were in the high-anxiety group. Parental STAI-State mean was 38.19 ± 4.94. Children's anxiety correlated positively with self-reported fear (Spearman's ρ = 0.372, p < .001) and negatively with age (Spearman's ρ = -0.211, p = .009). In the Three Wishes Test, most parents (84.1%) prioritized safe recovery, while 28.5% of children wished for their favorite toy. In multivariable linear regression, only child age (B = -1.58; p < .001) and child-reported fear score (B = 3.94; p < .001) independently predicted mYPAS total score (adjusted R2 = 0.239). Logistic regression confirmed these findings: younger age and higher fear score increased the odds of high preoperative anxiety (adjusted odds ratios: 0.75 and 1.66, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Children demonstrated high levels of preoperative anxiety. Increasing age and lower child-reported fear scores were associated with lower preoperative anxiety levels. These findings underscore the importance of family-centered and age-sensitive preoperative nursing interventions.