Kinesiophobia and its Influencing Factors in Patients With Peripheral Arterial Disease: A Cross-Sectional Survey

To assess the prevalence of kinesiophobia in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and identify related factors, providing evidence for developing targeted interventions.

This cross-sectional study used convenience sampling to recruit hospitalized patients with PAD from the Department of Vascular Surgery in a tertiary hospital in Southwest China from June to December 2024. Data were collected using a general information questionnaire, the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK), a Visual Analog Scale for pain, an exercise self-efficacy scale, and the Social Support Rating Scale. Univariate analyses and multivariable linear regression were performed to explore factors associated with TSK scores.

A total of 260 patients were included, with a kinesiophobia prevalence of 54.6% (142/260), defined as TSK ≥37. Multivariable linear regression showed that older age (β = 0.287), higher pain intensity (β = 0.279), and more advanced disease stage (β = 0.259) were positively associated with TSK scores, whereas higher social support (β = -0.197) and higher exercise self-efficacy (β = -0.166) were negatively associated with TSK scores (all P < 0.05).

Kinesiophobia is common among patients with PAD. Interventions focusing on pain management, enhancing exercise self-efficacy, and strengthening social support may help reduce kinesiophobia and promote rehabilitation.