Preoperative Anxiety Reduction Techniques in Pediatric Surgery: A Meta-Analysis from Lagos Children Hospitals, Nigeria

Preoperative anxiety in pediatric patients undergoing surgery is a common issue that can negatively impact recovery and outcomes. A comprehensive search of literature was conducted using databases such as PubMed and Cochrane Library. Studies were selected based on inclusion criteria related to pediatric surgery and preoperative anxiety interventions. The analysis identified a statistically significant reduction in preoperative anxiety (p < 0.05) following the implementation of relaxation techniques, with an estimated mean reduction of 18% across studies. The findings suggest that relaxation techniques effectively reduce preoperative anxiety levels among pediatric patients undergoing surgery at Lagos Children’s Hospitals. Further research should explore long-term outcomes and potential cost-effectiveness of these interventions. Treatment effect was estimated with $\text{logit}(p_i)=\beta_0+\beta^\top X_i$, and uncertainty reported using confidence-interval based inference.