AB0255 Evaluation of kinesiophobia in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis

Background Fear avoidance behavior which is caused by painful injury resulting precision and extreme fear is defined as kinesiophobia. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, inflammatory and systemic disease with symmetrical arthritis and visceral involvement. Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic, inflammatory disease with involvement of the spine or peripheral joints. Objectives In our study, we aimed to evaluate the relationships between kinesophobia and disease activity, quality of life (QoL), level of physical activity and emotional status in RA and AS patients. Methods We included 42 patients with RA (8 males-M, 34 females-F) (group 1), 49 patients with AS (34 M, 15 F) (group 2) and 29 healthy controls (9 M, 20 F) (group 3) in our study. The QoL was assessed using the health assessment questionnaire (HAQ), kinesiophobia was assesed with Tampa scale of kinesiophobia (TSK), pain was assesed with visual analog scale (VAS), fatigue was assesed with VAS and emotional status was assesed with Beck depression inventory (BDI). Disease activity was assesed with Bath ankylosing spondylitis disease acitivity index (BASDAI) and functional status was assesed with Bath ankylosing spondylitis functional index (BASFI) in patients with AS. Disease activity was assesed with DAS28 in patients with RA. Results The mean age was 46.2 in group 1, 43.2 in group 2 and 40.17 in group 3. There was no difference among groups with respect to mean age (p>0.05). Kinesiophobia was present in 37 patients in group 1, 22 patients in group 2 and 7 patients in group 3. Statistically significant differences were found among groups with respect to the number of patients with kinesiophobia and to mean scores of pain intensity, fatigue, HAQ and BDI (p Conclusions In our study, patients with RA and AS had higher rates of kinesiophobia. We found that kinesiophobia was related with pain severity, fatigue, depression, disease activity and QoL of the patients. The QoL can be improved through controlling kinesiophobia by reducing pain, depression and fatigue. Disclosure of Interest None declared