Relationship between Kinesiophobia and Mobility, Impact of the Disease, and Fear of Falling in Women with and without Fibromyalgia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Jul 6;19(14):8257. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19148257.

Abstract

Background: Kinesiophobia is defined as fear of movement due to the painful experience of it. The main symptom of fibromyalgia is persistent and widespread pain associated with other symptoms. This study analyzes the kinesiophobia between women with fibromyalgia and apparently healthy women and investigates the relationship between kinesiophobia and physical fitness tests, fear of falling, and the impact of the fibromyalgia.

Methods: Fifty-one women participated in this study were divided into two groups: (1) women with fibromyalgia and (2) apparently healthy women. Participants completed questionnaires to assess kinesiophobia, fear of falling, and the impact of fibromyalgia. Subsequently, participants completed the physical tests Timed Up and Go, 10-step stair ascent, and handgrip strength.

Results: Women with fibromyalgia had significant differences in kinesiophobia and fear of falling compared to apparently healthy women. Similarly, performance in the physical tests was lower, except for the handgrip strength, which maintained similar values to the apparently healthy women. Significant relationships were found only in the fibromyalgia group between kinesiophobia, the impact of the disease, fear of falling, and the Timed Up and Go and 10-step stair ascent tests.

Conclusions: Women with fibromyalgia showed higher kinesiophobia scores, worse performance in mobility tests, and higher fear of falling than apparently healthy women. Kinesiophobia score is related to Timed Up and Go performance, the 10-step stair ascent, the fear of falling, and the impact of the disease in women with fibromyalgia.

Keywords: activities of daily living; chronic pain; movement; pain; physical fitness.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Fear
  • Female
  • Fibromyalgia*
  • Hand Strength
  • Humans
  • Pain

Grants and funding

The author JLLL was supported by a grant from the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture, and Sport (FPU18/05655). The author AMG was supported by a grant from the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport (FPU17/03130). The author SV was supported by a grant from the Universities Ministry and the European Union (NextGenerationUE) (MS-03). The funders played no role in the study design, the data collection, and analysis, the decision to publish, or the preparation of the manuscript. In the framework of the Spanish National R + D + i Plan, the current study was co-funded by the Spanish Ministry of Sciences and Innovation (reference PID2019-107191RB-I00/AEI/10.13039/501100011033). This study was also funded by the Research Grant for Groups (GR21176) funded by the Junta de Extremadura (Regional Government of Extremadura) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF/FEDER) “a way of doing Europe”. This study was supported by the Biomedical Research Networking Center on Frailty and Healthy Aging (CIBERFES) and FEDER funds from the European Union (CB16/10/00477).