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Papers of the Week


Papers: 29 May 2021 - 4 Jun 2021

RESEARCH TYPE:
Psychology


Human Studies


2021 May 22


Brain Sci


11


6

Does Kinesiophobia Mediate the Relationship between Pain Intensity and Disability in Individuals with Chronic Low-Back Pain and Obesity?

Authors

Varallo G, Scarpina F, Giusti E M, Cattivelli R, Guerrini Usubini A, Capodaglio P, Castelnuovo G
Brain Sci. 2021 May 22; 11(6).
PMID: 34067433.

Abstract

Individuals suffering from chronic low-back pain and obesity face severe physical and functional limitations. According to the fear-avoidance model, kinesiophobia might play a crucial role in the relationship between pain intensity and disability. Thus, the purpose of this study was to verify the role of kinesiophobia as a mediator in the association between pain intensity and disability in individuals with both chronic low-back pain and obesity. A total of 213 individuals with chronic low-back pain and obesity were included in the study. The level of kinesiophobia, pain intensity and disability were all assessed using self-reported questionnaires. We verified through a simple mediation analysis that kinesiophobia partially mediated the association between pain intensity and disability in our sample. According to our findings, we emphasize the crucial role of kinesiophobia as a psychological factor that should be addressed in chronic low-back pain rehabilitative protocols to reduce disability in individuals with obesity.