Supplementary file 1_Factors associated with parental anxiety in elective pediatric surgery.pdf

The proportion of parents with higher levels of anxiety (STAI-S > 50) in the surgical and non-surgical group was 54% vs. 10%, respectively. Multivariable modeling confirmed that primary and secondary educational level, insufficient information regarding child`s health, obtaining information regarding child's health through conversations with friends/acquaintances who are not health workers, and higher concern score were associated with the presence of higher anxiety among parents whose children were scheduled for surgical intervention.

In the non-surgical group only the presence of a serious medical condition in another child was related to lower anxiety (OR = 0.063, 95%CI OR = 0.01–0.38, p = 0.002). Internal consistency was excellent for both STAI-State and STAI-Trait scales (Cronbach's α > 0.90), while exploratory factor analysis supported the construct validity of the instrument confirming the expected two-factor structure.</p>Conclusions<p>Primary and secondary educational level, insufficient information regarding child`s health, obtaining information from informal sources, and higher concern score were associated with the presence of higher anxiety among parents whose children were scheduled for surgical intervention.</p>