Development and Validation of the Surgical Patient’s Anxious Condition Assessment Scale

Methods A qualitative study was conducted at the People’s Hospital of Leshan City, Sichuan, China, utilizing phenomenological research analysis of interviews with patients (N = 11) to establish an item pool for the scale. This was followed by a Delphi expert inquiry (N = 16) and a pilot test (N = 30), with subsequent adjustments to the scale based on patient feedback. Surgical inpatients from the same hospital were surveyed using the scale, and an exploratory factor analysis was performed on a random sample (N = 376). A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted on a second sample (N = 386). Results The final establishment of the SPAC Assessment Scale comprised three dimensions, medical provider, process and effect, and hospital—with ten items forming the questionnaire. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) revealed a Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) Measure of Sampling Adequacy value of 0.892 and a Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity yielding a chi-square value of 2886.217, df = 45, P < 0.001. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) extracted three common factors, with a cumulative variance contribution of 63.20%. The rotated factor structure was clear, with each item loading highly (> 0.7) on its respective factor without significant cross-loading. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) showed a Chi-square/degrees of freedom ratio of 2.87, a Comparative Fit Index (CFI) of 0.942, a Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI) of 0.928, a Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) of 0.078, and a Standardized Root Mean Square Residual (SRMR) of 0.048. Conclusion The SPAC Assessment Scale provides a reliable evaluation tool for the clinical identification and intervention of the anxious condition in surgical patients, facilitating precise and standardized psychological management during the perioperative period.