Relationship between kinesiophobia and pain, quality of life, functional status, disease activity, mobility, and depression in patients with ankylosing spondylitis

Background/aim: Our aim was to investigate the association of kinesiophobia with pain, quality of life, clinical measures, and depression in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Materials and methods: Patients with AS (n: 163) were enrolled in the study. Kinesiophobia was evaluated with the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK), pain with a visual analog scale (VAS), mobility with Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrology Index (BASMI), disease activity with the Bath AS Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), functional status with the Bath AS Functional Index (BASFI), depression level with Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI), and quality of life with the AS Quality of Life Questionnaire (ASQoL). Besides correlation analysis, outcome measures were compared between patients with (TSK ? 37) and without (TSK < 37) kinesiophobia.
Results: Kinesiophobia was found to be common with a percentage of 66.6%. TSK scores were correlated with VAS, BASFI, ASQoL, and BDI scores (r = 0.259, r = 0.294, r = 0.392, and r = 0.398, respectively; P < 0.05 for each). There were no correlations between TSK and the BASDAI and BASMI scores (r = 0.142, r = 0.198, respectively; P > 0.05). Patients with kinesiophobia had more pain and poorer BASFI, ASQoL, and BDI scores than patients without kinesiophobia (P < 0.05).
Conclusion: Our study is the first study that investigated the relationship between kinesiophobia and other clinical measures in AS patients. Pain and psychological status have an impact on fear of movement and thus functional status and quality of life.