Anaesthesiophobia among Patients Undergoing Elective Surgery at a Nigerian Teaching Hospital: Prevalence, Severity, and Associated Patient and Clinical Factors

Abstract

Aim: Anaesthesiophobia, an excessive fear of anaesthesia, is an important component of preoperative anxiety and may adversely affect perioperative outcomes. Evidence on anaesthesiophobia among patients undergoing elective surgery in Nigeria is limited. This study assessed the prevalence, severity, and associated factors of anaesthesiophobia among patients undergoing elective surgery at a Nigerian Teaching Hospital. Study Design: A cross-sectional descriptive study. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in the surgical wards of UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Nigeria, between March and April 2026. Methodology: The study involved 120 adults aged 18 years and above scheduled for elective surgery. Data were collected using a pre-tested structured questionnaire adapted from previous studies, and analysed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, binary and multivariable logistic regression, and ordinal logistic regression at a significance level of p < 0.05. Results: The prevalence of anaesthesiophobia was 39.2%, and 51 (42.5%) respondents had moderate anaesthesiophobia. Respondents aged 31–50 years (AOR = 0.18, p = 0.014), females (AOR = 0.22, p = 0.042), Igbo ethnicity (AOR = 0.04, p = 0.012), those with secondary (AOR = 0.013, p = 0.002) or tertiary education (AOR = 0.010, p = 0.001), and retirees (AOR = 0.14, p = 0.037) were less likely to have anaesthesiophobia. Respondents with previous surgery (AOR = 0.21, p < 0.001) and previous regional anaesthesia (AOR = 0.36, p = 0.031) were less likely to have severe anaesthesiophobia, while those scheduled for orthopaedic/spinal surgery (AOR = 3.42, p = 0.019) were more likely. Conclusion: Anaesthesiophobia was prevalent among patients undergoing elective surgery in this setting, with moderate fear being the most frequently reported severity category. These findings suggest that some patients are more vulnerable than others because of their personal characteristics and previous clinical experiences. Routine preoperative assessment of anaesthesia-related fear and individualised preoperative counselling may help reduce the burden of anaesthesiophobia among surgical patients in Nigeria.