Paediatr Anaesth. 2025 Aug 2. doi: 10.1111/pan.70020. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Preoperative anxiety in children can lead to enduring psychological effects, highlighting the need for validated assessment tools. Although the modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale is internationally recognized for evaluating pediatric anxiety, no validated Japanese version is available.
AIMS: We aimed to develop a Japanese version of the modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale per internationally recognized translation guidelines, and conduct a pilot study to assess its feasibility, psychometric properties, and sample size requirements for future formal psychometric evaluations.
METHODS: After obtaining approval from the original authors, a translation team followed the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research Task Force Guidelines, including forward and back translations, cultural adaptation, and cognitive debriefing. This pilot study involved 15 children (aged 5-12 years) undergoing elective surgery under general anesthesia. Reliability (internal consistency, inter-rater, and intra-rater) and validity (concurrent validity against the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children) were assessed. The Walter’s formula was used to calculate the sample size needed for formal reliability studies.
RESULTS: Following a successful translation and cultural adaptation process, the Japanese version of the scale demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.954) and moderate-to-very-good inter-rater reliability (weighted Kappa = 0.42-0.92). Intra-rater reliability was excellent (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.86-0.97). However, correlations with the STAIC-State were poor (rs = -0.20 to -0.01), likely reflecting cultural norms of emotional restraint and differences in assessment timings. Sample size calculations indicated that 99 patients would be required for future reliability studies.
CONCLUSIONS: The Japanese version of the scale was successfully developed, and pilot findings indicated its feasibility in Japanese clinical settings; a large multicenter validation is now required to confirm its psychometric properties. Incorporating the developed version of the scale into clinical practice may facilitate earlier identification and management of pediatric preoperative anxiety in Japan.
TRIAL REGISTRATION: UMIN Clinical Trials Registry: UMIN000047537.
PMID:40751430 | DOI:10.1111/pan.70020
