Validity and reliability of the Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale in the Turkish population

Abstract

Background/aim: This study aimed to adapt the Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS) to measure the preoperative anxiety of adult Turkish patients undergoing surgery. Materials and methods: The sample of this methodological study included 210 patients. Data were collected by using personal information forms, the APAIS, and the State Anxiety Scale (STAI). Cronbach’s ɑ-coefficient was calculated, and test–retest reliability was tested. Results: Cronbach’s ɑ-coefficients of the APAIS anxiety and information requirement subscales were 0.897 and 0.786, respectively. The mean test and retest scores of the APAIS were not different. The test and retest scores of the patients were significantly, positively, and strongly related. The APAIS and STAI-I were correlated. Factorial analysis revealed that two factors accounted for 81.435% of the total variance with an eigenvalue of >1. These results showed that the Turkish version of the APAIS is a valid and reliable scale. Conclusion: The Turkish translation of the APAIS is valid and can be reliably used to determine the preoperative anxiety experienced by patients who are undergoing elective surgery. Key words: Patients, preoperative anxiety, reliability, validity