Preoperative anxiety in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Anxiety is a vague and uneasy feeling of the individual. It is one of the commonest events that can happen to surgical patients. The prevalence is higher in low-income countries. In Ethiopia, the prevalence of preoperative anxiety reported is variable. This meta-analysis aimed to find the pooled prevalence of preoperative anxiety. Methods: The databases for the search were PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar by the date 02/03/2020. To assess publication bias Egger's test regression analysis was applied. Results: This meta-analysis included a total of 6 studies with 1832 study subjects. The pooled prevalence of preoperative anxiety was 55.54 %( 95% CI, 46.30 to 64.78%). Based on the subgroup analysis, the Oromia region ranked first (63.27%). Conclusions: The national prevalence of preoperative anxiety was high. Oromia region ranked first followed by Amhara, SNNP, and Addis Ababa. Patients need to assess often for anxiety during the preoperative visit.