The Czech version of the Surgical Fear Questionnaire: measuring validity and reliability

Aim: The aim of the study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Czech version of the Surgical Fear Questionnaire. Design: A cross-sectional study design. STROBE guidelines for reporting observational studies were followed for the study. Methods: The study sample consisted of 332 adult patients from the Czech Republic. The Surgical Fear Questionnaire (SFQ) was used to measure preoperative fear. Cronbach’s alpha was calculated to test reliability. The construct validity of the SFQ was tested using exploratory factor analysis. Results: Reliability of the instrument as a whole was confirmed by the high value of the Cronbach alpha coefficient (0.813). Two factors were identified for the Czech version of the SFQ in factor analysis. Conclusion: The Czech version of the Surgical Fear Questionnaire showed good validity and reliability and can be used in research and clinical practice. Further analysis of psychometric properties is needed to confirm these results.