The effect of kinesiophobia on fear of falling, quality of life and physical activity in children with headache

Year 2025, Volume: 11 Issue: 1, 10 - 15, 28.02.2025

Özge Baykan Çopuroğlu , Müge Baykan , Pınar Gençpınar , Nihal Olgaç Dündar

https://doi.org/10.31459/turkjkin.1615342

Abstract

Kinesiophobia, the excessive fear of movement due to anticipated pain or injury, contributes to disability. While prevalent in headache patients, its associations with clinical factors in pediatric headache populations remain underexplored. To examine the relationships between kinesiophobia, fear of falling, quality of life, and physical activity in children and adolescents with headaches. Methods: This study included 127 children aged 6–18 years with headache complaints. Kinesiophobia was assessed using the Tampa Kinesiophobia Scale (TKS), fear of falling with the Falls Efficacy Scale (FES-I), physical activity via the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ–Short Form), quality of life using the Quality-of-Life Scale for Children (QOLS), and pain severity with a visual analog scale (VAS). The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (Id: NCT06136052). Kinesiophobia was prevalent among children with headaches and was significantly associated with longer headache duration (p < 0.05), greater pain severity, reduced physical activity, and lower quality of life (p < 0.001). Increased pain severity correlated with higher fear of falling (p < 0.001). Children without kinesiophobia reported significantly better quality of life (p < 0.05). Kinesiophobia in children with headaches is linked to fear of falling, decreased physical activity, and lower quality of life, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions.

Keywords

Children, headache, kinesiophobia

Ethical Statement

The study was approved by the SBU Izmir Tepecik Training and Research Hospital Non-invasive Research Ethical Committee (2022/05-20) and it was carried out in accordance with the Code of Ethics of the World Medical Association also known as a declaration of Helsinki.

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