Objective  To analyze the anxiety status, focus of fear and influencing factors in adults patients with selective operation.

  Methods  A self-made questionnaire and the Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS) were used to investigate 295 adult patients with selective operation from April to July 2021 in the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University.

  Results  One day before operation, 94 of 295 patients (31.8%) had anxiety, and there was a significant positive correlation between anxiety score and information demand score (P < 0.001); a total of 90 patients had one fear point, 55 patients had two fear points, and 79 patients had three or more fear points; when patients had three or more fear points, the incidence of anxiety increased to 75.9% (P < 0.001); female, previous experience of regional anesthesia, intraspinal anesthesia method, awareness of actual disease and diagnostic surgery were the main influencing factors of preoperative anxiety.

  Conclusion  Adult patients with selective surgery have a high incidence of preoperative anxiety, which is highly correlated with the degree of information demand; the incidence of anxiety is significantly higher in patients with three preoperative fear points and above; female, poor anesthesia experience, method of intraspinal anesthesia awareness of actual disease condition and uncertainty of operation are the high-risk factors of preoperative anxiety. Medical staffs should provide more targeted psychosocial interventions based on the above key points.