Kinesiophobia and fear avoidance behaviors in collegiate female athletes during menstruation

Abstract

Background and Study Aim. The menstrual cycle can be a factor affecting performance in female athletes if accompanied by pain. In this study, authors aimed to examine how menstruation pain affects kinesiophobia and fear avoidance behavior in female athletes. Material and Methods. Study included a total of 50 female athletes aged 18-35 years. The athletes were divided into 3 groups as Group 1 (With Pain), Group 2 (No Pain) and Group 3 (Intermittent Pain) according to their pain experience during menstruation. The groups were compared in terms of kinesiophobia and fear avoidance behaviors. Kinesiophobia was evaluated with the Tampa Kinesiophobia Scale (TKS), fear avoidance behaviors were evaluated by using Fear Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ). Results. There was a significant difference between the 3 groups in terms of both TKS and FABQ scores (p<0.05). In terms of TKS, there was no significant difference between Group 1 and Group 3 (p>0.05), there was a significant difference between Group 1 and Group 2 and between Group 2 and Group 3 (p<0.05). There was a significant difference in favor of Group 1 in all pairwise comparisons in terms of FABQ scores (p<0.05). Pain intensity was associated with TKS and FABQ. Conclusions. A significant majority of female athletes experienced pain during menstruation, exhibited kinesiophobia and fear avoidance behavior due to pain. Since kinesiophobia and fear avoidance behavior can be a limiting factor for the athlete's optimum performance, female athletes should be supported in order for them to develop coping methods.