Investigation of the relationship between physical activity, kinesiophobia and fear of falling in older adults with chronic pain

Aims This study aims to investigate the relationship between physical activity, fear of movement and fear of falling in older adults with chronic pain. Materials and methods The study includes 163 older adults aged 65 years and over, who live in a private nursing home. The cognitive functions of the individuals who participated in the study were evaluated with the mini-mental examination scale (MMES), fears of movement with the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK), fear-avoidance behaviour with the Fear-avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ), physical activity levels with the Physical Activity Scale for Older (PASE), and the fears of falling were assessed with Tinetti's Falls Efficacy Scale (FES). Results In the correlation analysis, there was a weak correlation between age and fall risk (r = 0.349, p < 0.001), and PASE(Total) score (r = -0.020, p = 0.011). There was a weak positive correlation between Tinetti FES and FABQ scores (r = 0.349, p < 0.001), and kinesiophobia value (r = 0.259, p < 0.001), there was a weak negative correlation between Tinetti FES and PASE(Total) (r = -0.241, p = 0.002). A positive mid correlation was determined between kinesiophobia and the FABQ scores (r = 0.41, p < 0.001). The established regression model was found to be significant (F = 12.175; p < 0.001). Among the independent variables included in the model, FABQ(Total) (t = 3.589; p < 0.0001) and PASE(Total) (t = -3.325; p < 0.0001) significantly affected the fear of falling. Conclusion The presence of chronic pain in older adults who have problems related to physical activity, fear of falling, and kinesiophobia due to advancing age may affect social participation, functional level, and quality of life significantly. Therefore, pain should be addressed in older adults and should be considered as an important issue in rehabilitation programs.