Introduction: Kinesiophobia is a common symptom associated with high disability, and has been observed in patients with migraine. However, the association between kinesiophobia and clinical factors in this population is unknown.
Objective: To assess the fear of falling, dizziness disability, and migraine disability in patients with migraine, considering the presence of kinesiophobia.
Methods: Eighty patients with migraine completed the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia and were divided into two groups according to the questionnaire cutoff point: migraine without kinesiophobia (MoK, n = 39) and migraine with kinesiophobia (MK, n = 41). Fear of falling, dizziness disability, and migraine disability were assessed in both groups using validated questionnaires.
Results: The MK group presented higher scores on dizziness disability, fear of falling, and migraine disability compared to the MoK (p < .05). Kinesiophobia can explain 29% of the variance in dizziness disability and 18% of migraine disability. Both kinesiophobia and the presence of dizziness can explain 14% of fear of falling variability. Also, kinesiophobia is associated with the risk of presenting fear of falling (Prevalence Ratio = 2.4, p = .012), and migraine disability (Prevalence Ratio = 2.6, p = .01).
Conclusion: The presence of kinesiophobia should be considered in clinical practice when evaluating migraine, as it is associated with increased levels of fear of falling, dizziness disability, and migraine disability.
Keywords: Fear-avoidance; disability; dizziness; falls; headache.