Original scientific paper

https://doi.org/10.20471/acc.2023.62.01.18

Validation of the Croatian Version of the Surgical Fear Questionnaire (Sfq) in Adult Patients Waiting for Elective Surgery

Andrija Karačić ; Division of Digestive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Sveti Duh University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
Maurice Theunissen ; Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Management, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands
Slavica Sović ; School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Marko Sever ; Division of Digestive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Sveti Duh University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
Branko Bakula ; Division of Digestive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Sveti Duh University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
Kristina Semanjski ; Division of Digestive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Sveti Duh University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

The Surgical Fear Questionnaire (SFQ) is an instrument for self-assessment of
surgical fear and consists of two subscales, one assessing the fear of short-term consequences (SFQ-s)
and another one of long-term consequences (SFQ-l) of surgery. The aim of this study was to test the
Croatian version of the SFQ with regard to its psychometric properties. This prospective cohort study
included patients who presented to the Department of Surgery for elective surgery in the inpatient
setting at a tertiary health care facility in Croatia between April 1 and May 31, 2019. Data on 144
patients were suitable for data analysis. Data collection was performed in the afternoon before surgery
using the Personal Information Form, Numerical Rating Scale self-report instruments (NRS), SFQ
and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) assessing sociodemographic factors, surgical
fear via NRS and SFQ, expected pain and emotional state. The Cronbach alpha value as a statistical
measure for reliability of psychometric tests for the SFQ-s subscale was 0.79, for SFQ-L subscale
0.84, and for total SFQ 0.81. The exploratory factor analysis (EFA) showed a two-factor structure.
Significant correlations of the SFQ with the NRS and HADS-anxiety subscale were demonstrated.
Our study demonstrated the Croatian version of the SFQ to have a high level of reliability and hence
can be used as a self-report instrument for surgical fear with two subscales. Convergent validity of the
SFQ with other self-report instruments is shown.

Keywords

Perioperative; Preoperative; Questionnaire; Reliability; Surgical fear; Validity

Hrčak ID:

307275

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/307275

Publication date:

1.4.2023.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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