Sensibility and measurement properties of the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia to measure fear of movement in children and adults in surgical settings

Abstract

Purpose: Fear of movement, or kinesiophobia, is a risk factor for developing chronic post-surgical pain (CPSP) and may impede recovery. Identifying people with kinesiophobia peri-operatively is potentially valuable to intervene to optimize rehabilitation and prevent CPSP. This narrative review aims to describe and critically appraise the sensibility and measurement properties of the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK) in the surgical setting in both pediatric and adult populations.

Material and methods: PubMed was searched for relevant articles using search terms related to the TSK and measurement properties; the search was restricted to articles published in English. COSMIN guidelines were used to rate measurement property sufficiency and study quality.

Results: Four articles examined the measurement properties of the TSK-17 in the surgical setting. Included studies demonstrated sufficient internal consistency, structural validity, construct validity, but insufficient predictive validity. Study quality was variable. Although the TSK was not originally intended for the surgical setting, with minor modification, it appears sensible to use in this population.

Conclusions: The TSK is a sensible tool to measure fear of movement in children and adults undergoing, or who underwent, surgery. Future studies are needed to test content validity, test-retest reliability, measurement error, and responsiveness in the surgical setting.

IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION

• Fear of movement is a predictor of developing chronic post-surgical pain in children and adults.

• Rehabilitation interventions can address fear of movement in hopes to optimize surgical outcomes and prevent chronic post-surgical pain.

• The Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK), with minor modification, is a sensible tool to measure fear of movement in surgical settings.

• There is some evidence that the TSK is reliable and valid to use with older children, adolescents, and adults who are undergoing or underwent surgery.

Keywords:

• Psychometric
• fear
• pain measurement
• movement
• child

Acknowledgements

This project was completed in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the HAD5302H Measurement in Clinical Research course at the University of Toronto. The authors would like to thank course instructors Drs. Cory Borkhoff and Zahi Touma for their guidance and critical feedback on this work.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

Giulia Mesaroli is supported by a Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarship (CGS-D) from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and a RESTRACOMP Clinician Scientist Training Program Scholarship from the Hospital for Sick Children. Brittany N. Rosenbloom is supported by the Pain in Child Health (PICH) Postdoctoral Fellowship Award supported by the Louise and Alan Edwards Foundation and the RESTRACOMP Clinician Scientist Training Program Scholarship from The Hospital for Sick Children.