CORRELATION OF PATIENTS ANXIETY LEVELS, EXPOSURE TO COMPUTER TOMOGRAPHY EXAMINATION AND EXPERIENCE OF CLAUSTROPHOBIA

Abstract

Anxiety is recognized as a potential risk factor for false-positive result derived from radiological image. This study investigated patients’ anxiety levels on exposure to computer tomography and experience of claustrophobia. The study adopts a correlation research design. A total of 96 patients made-up of 49 males (50%) and 47 females (48%) subjects undergoing CT scan examination at the Radiology Department of Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi was recruited for this study. Participants responded to STAI (Form-1) a Nigerian re-standardized version and Radomsky’s Claustrophobia questionnaire. The results of the analysis shows that; there is a strong positive correlation between patients’ levels of anxiety and exposure to computer tomography examination including normal anxiety of r (96) = .812, p< .0.01), mild anxiety level r (96) = .823, p< .0.01), moderate anxiety level r (96)= .746, p< .0.01), severe anxiety r(96) = .669, p< .0.01), and extremely severe anxiety level, r (96) = .220, < .0.01). There is also a significant difference between male and female levels of anxiety and experience of claustrophobia during exposure to CT scan examination, with males score (M=20.4082, SD=2.39721, N=96) and females score (M=21.1489, SD= 3.03586), t (94) = -1.330, p< .05) for anxiety, males score (M=43.0213, SD=12.04609), and females score (M=42.2979, SD=11.89248) on exposure to CT scan t (94) = .293, p< .05) claustrophobia symptoms, males score (M=15.7083, SD=14.02878) females score (M=13.9149, SD=10.75989), t (94) = .698,