Kinesiophobia and Associated Factors in Patients With Myocardial Infarction

Kinesiophobia is a well-known barrier to positive clinical outcomes among patients with various diseases, but there remain few comprehensive studies of kinesiophobia among patients with myocardial infarction (MI). In this cross-sectional study, we investigated the presence of kinesiophobia and its relationship with clinical outcomes among 42 patients with MI who completed the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia Swedish Version for Heart (TSK-SV Heart) the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF), the Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) Dyspnea Scale, the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), and the MacNew Heart Disease Health-Related Quality of Life Questionnaire. The participants’ mean TSK-SV Heart score was 39.24 (SD = 6.65), and 71.4% of these patients reported a high level of kinesiophobia. The TSK-SV Heart score demonstrated a strong correlation with the IPAQ-SF, 6MWT walking distance, and mMRC score (p < .001), and a moderate correlation with the HADS, CCI, and MacNew Heart Disease HRQoL (p < .05). Patients with a high level of kinesiophobia had lower IPAQ-SF, 6MWT walking distance, and HRQoL and higher mMRC, CCI, and HADS scores than patients with low levels of kinesiophobia (p < .05). Kinesiophobia was common and represented a considerable risk factor for physical-psychosocial dysfunctions in these patients with MI. To maintain functional independence and to increase physical activity level, clinicians should consider kinesiophobia from early to late-stage disease and should add a treatment focus that seeks to eliminate kinesiophobia in cardiac rehabilitation programs.