Motivation and parental presence during induction of anesthesia: an examination of the role of ethnicity and language

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To examine the role of ethnicity and language in parental desire and motivation to be present for children's anesthesia induction. AIM: To compare motivation for parental presence at induction of anesthesia (PPIA) between English- and Spanish-speaking White and Hispanic parents of children undergoing outpatient surgery. BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of PPIA may depend, in part, on parental motivation and desire to be present at children's anesthesia induction; however, cultural variables such as ethnicity and language have not previously been explored in this relationship. METHODS/MATERIALS: Participants included 258 parents of children undergoing outpatient surgery and general anesthesia. Parents were grouped by self-reported ethnicity and primary language spoken into English-speaking White (ESW, n = 55), English-speaking Hispanic (ESH, n = 108), and Spanish-speaking Hispanic (SPH, n = 95) groups. Measures included the Motivation for Parental Presence during Induction of Anesthesia (MPPIA) and a 4-item measure of preference for PPIA. RESULTS: The majority of parents (73%) expressed a preference for PPIA. Analyses controlling for group differences in socioeconomic status and demographic variables revealed that English-(P = 0.03) and Spanish-speaking (P = 0.06) Hispanic parents reported significantly greater levels of desire to be present for their child's anesthesia induction compared to English-speaking White parents. English-speaking Hispanic parents also reported greater levels of beliefs about the impact of anxiety on children's anesthesia induction compared to English-speaking White parents (P = 0.07). CONCLUSIONS: Parental ethnicity and language may impact desire and motivation for PPIA, which may subsequently impact the effectiveness of PPIA and child anxiety at anesthesia induction. Future research should examine the impact of parental characteristics, including cultural variables, on children's preoperative anxiety.