Author: Kawabe-Ishibashi C et al.
Paediatric Anaesthesia. First published August 2, 2025. doi:10.1111/pan.70020
This study developed and piloted a Japanese version of the modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale (mYPAS) following internationally recognized translation and cultural adaptation guidelines. The process included forward and back translation, cultural adjustments, and cognitive debriefing, with permission from the original authors. Fifteen children aged 5–12 years undergoing elective surgery under general anesthesia participated.
The Japanese version showed high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.954), moderate-to-very-good inter-rater reliability (weighted κ = 0.42–0.92), and excellent intra-rater reliability (ICC = 0.86–0.97). Correlation with the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children was poor, likely due to cultural norms of emotional restraint and timing differences in assessments. Sample size calculations indicated that 99 patients would be needed for a full reliability study.
The authors conclude that the Japanese mYPAS is feasible for use in clinical practice, but a larger multicenter validation is needed to confirm its psychometric properties. Its adoption could improve early identification and management of pediatric preoperative anxiety in Japan.
References
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Kawabe-Ishibashi C, Funahashi K, Amano K, et al. Paediatr Anaesth. 2025. doi:10.1111/pan.70020.
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