• Esra Cagiran, Demet Sergin, Mustafa Nuri Deniz, Burçak Tanattı, Neslihan Emiroglu, and Isik Alper.
• Department of Anaesthesia and Reanimation, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey.
• J. Int. Med. Res. 2014 Apr 1; 42 (2): 572-80.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of sociodemographic factors and maternal anxiety levels on behaviour in children undergoing surgery.MethodsThis study included children aged 3-12 years who were scheduled for surgery, and their respective mothers. Each mother completed a questionnaire concerning sociodemographic and economic characteristics. Maternal anxiety was assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) form Tx-1, following transfer of the child to the operating room. An anaesthesiologist rated preoperative anxiety in each child using the Frankl Behaviour Rating Scale (FBRS) and Venham Picture Test (VPT).ResultsOne hundred children (mean ± SD age 7 ± 2.7 years) who received dental (47%), plastic (39%) or urological (14%) surgery, and 100 mothers (mean ± SD age 34 ± 6.6 years) were included. A statistically significant difference between maternal STAI Tx-1 scores and children's VPT scores was revealed. There was no significant difference between maternal STAI Tx-1 scores and children's FBRS scores. Maternal education level and socioeconomic status had no effect on FBRS, VPT and STAI Tx-1 scores.ConclusionMaternal knowledge and experience of anaesthesia, and high levels of maternal anxiety, may be related to increased anxiety in children undergoing surgery.

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