KINESIOPHOBIC PREVALENCE AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH PAIN, FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY, AND QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG COMMUNITY DWELLING ELDERLY WITH LOW BACK PAIN IN KANO.

*Farida Garba SUMAILA (MSc)¹, Hussani Umar ISAH (BPT)¹

¹Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria.

*Corresponding Author

Email: fgsumaila.pth@buk.edu.ng

Postal address: PMB 3011, BUK, Kano.

Phone Number: +2348036164228

Background and Purpose: The elderly population is growing in size and in proportion with the total population and Kinesiophobia is one of the common problems which elderly people experience which may result in functional disability and decreased quality of life. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of Kinesiophobia and relationship with pain, functional disability and quality of life among community-dwelling elderly with low back pain in Kano state.

Relevance: The prevalence of kinesiophobia in this population will help in the rehabilitation of the participants thereby limiting functional disability and reduced quality of life.

Participants/Subjects: Multistage sampling technique was used to recruit 100 elderly persons 51 male and 49 female, aged 60 years and above.

Methodology: Oswestry disability index, Tampa scale of kinesiophobia and SF 12 questionnaires were used for the data collection on functional siability, kinesiophobia and quality of life respectively.The questionnaires were retrieved same day after filling and response rate was 66.7%. Data obtained were summarized using descriptive statistics and Spearman correlation coefficient was used to analyze the relationship between the variables, alpha level was set at 0.05.

Results: Majority 54% of the elderly have moderate Kinesiophobia while 46% have high Kinesiophobia, also 41% was found to have moderate disability while, 31% with severe disability and 3% with crippled disability. No significant relationship was found between Kinesiophobia and pain (p>0.05), and a significant relationship was found between Kinesiophobia and functional disability (p<0.05), Kinesiophobia and quality of life PCS (p<0.05), MCS (p<0.05).

Conclusion: The study concluded that there is a high prevalence of Kinesiophobia and it  is related to functional disability and quality of life among community dwelling elderly with LBP.

Implications: Kinesiophobia has a negative impact on functional disability and quality of life, it should therefore be assessed in elderly so as to manage it and thereby improve functional disability and quality of life.

Key words: Kinesiophobia, Elderly, Low Back Pain, Quality of life, Functional disability

Funding Source Aknowledgement: Self funded

Ethics approval: Kabo Local Government, Kano State (KBL/ADM/T/5.2/55)