Key result
Female sex linked to ~2-fold higher odds of anxiety among tertiary care outpatients.
Why the study?
What is the prevalence of anxiety disorders and their association with sociodemographic factors among people visiting a tertiary care facility in Pakistan?
Cross-Sectional (n=406)
No
What is the prevalence of anxiety disorders and their association with sociodemographic factors among people visiting a tertiary care facility in Pakistan?
Odds Ratio: 2 (95% CI 1.28–3.22)
Absolute Event Rate: 39.4% vs 23.3%
p-value: p=0.02
In a Pakistani tertiary care facility, 28.3% of visitors had borderline or pathological anxiety, which was significantly associated with female sex and physical illness.
May warrant anxiety screening in Pakistani tertiary outpatients, especially women; leaves open generalizability and need for prospective validation.
BACKGROUND: The developing world is faced with a high burden of anxiety disorders. The exact prevalence of anxiety disorders in Pakistan is not known. There is a need to develop an evidence base to aid policy development on tackling anxiety and depressive disorders in the country. This is the first pilot study to address the prevalence of anxiety disorders and their association with sociodemographic factors in Pakistan. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among people visiting Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), a tertiary care facility in Karachi, Pakistan. The point prevalence of anxiety amongst the sample population, which comprised of patients and their attendants, excluding all health care personnel, was assessed using the validated Urdu version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The questionnaire was administered to 423 people. Descriptive statistics were performed for mean scores and proportions. RESULTS: The mean anxiety score of the population was 5.7 +/- 3.86. About 28.3% had borderline or pathological anxiety. The factors found to be independently predicted with anxiety were, female sex (odds ratio (OR) = 2.14, 95% CI 1.36-3.36, p = 0.01); physical illness (OR = 1.67, 95% CI 1.06-2.64, p = 0.026); and psychiatric illness (OR = 1.176, 95% CI 1.0-3.1, p = 0.048). In the final multivariate model, female sex (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2, 95% CI 1.28-3.22) and physical illness (AOR = 1.56, 95% CI 0.97-2.48) were found to be significant. CONCLUSION: Further studies via nationally representative surveys need to be undertaken to fully grasp the scope of this emerging public health issue in Pakistan.
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Khan et al. (2007) conducted a cross-sectional in Anxiety disorders (n=406). Female sex vs. Male sex was evaluated on Borderline or pathological anxiety (HADS score ≥ 8) (AOR 2.0, 95% CI 1.28-3.22, p=0.02). The point prevalence of anxiety was 28.3% among outpatients in a Pakistani tertiary care center, with female sex independently associated with a twofold higher odds of anxiety compared to males.
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