Education And Intergroup Variation Among Pre-Surgical Patients Exhibiting Tomophobia In Public Hospitals Of Enugu State, Nigeria

Abstract

This paper investigated the relationship between education and intergroup variations among pre-surgical patients exhibiting anxiety/fear using three public hospitals in Enugu state as study areas. A cross-sectional survey and a total population of 890 members of medical staff and pre-surgical patients found in the hospitals were adopted for the inquiry. A sample of 270 respondents using Guilford and Flruchter (1973) for sample size determination, and tables, percentages and SPSS version 20.0 tools of analysis were also adopted. The results of analysis reveal that there is no relationship between education and tomophobia, and that there is also no relationship between the levels of education and the prevalence of variations among pre-surgical patients exhibiting tomophobia. Since tomophobia is inevitable and highly dangerous in surgery, the paper recommends the compulsory introduction of pre-operative counselling and the employment of professional psychotherapists and counselors.