Abstract

Objective: To evaluate pre- and postoperative anxiety among adults undergoing elective general surgery and to identify factors associated with preoperative anxiety.
Methodology: This descriptive comparative, hospital-based study was conducted at Ibrahim Malik, Bahri, and Omdurman Teaching Hospitals from November 2019 to February 2020. Out of 574 eligible patients, 230 adults were selected using stratified random sampling proportional to each hospital’s surgical caseload. Participants completed a structured questionnaire assessing sociodemographic characteristics, associated factors, and anxiety levels using the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A). Data were analyzed using SPSS v25, and chi-square tests were applied to examine associations between anxiety severity and demographic variables.
Results: The most frequently reported antecedents of preoperative anxiety were family concern (80.4%), fear of complications (79.1%), and anticipated postoperative pain (71.7%). Mean anxiety scores decreased significantly from preoperative (2.58) to postoperative levels (1.03). Significant preoperative associations were found for gender (χ²=35.382, p

Key words: Perioperative anxiety, elective surgery, HAM-A, Khartoum State.