Dyspnea-related kinesiophobia as a barrier on cystic fibrosis: The role of children and parents.

BACKGROUND

Children with cystic fibrosis (CF) may be physically inactive due to disease progression and infection risk, with parents sometimes being overly protective. This study aimed to explore the relationship between dyspnea-related kinesiophobia in children and their parents and the child's respiratory muscle strength, physical activity, fitness, and quality of life.

METHODS

Fourty-three children with CF (21 females, 22 males, 11.02 ± 3.24 years) and their caregivers (34 mothers, eight fathers, one cousin; 39.45 ± 6.76 years) included. Children underwent spirometry, respiratory muscle strength tests (maximal inspiratory pressure-MIP, maximal expiratory pressure-MEP), the Pediatric Physical Activity Questionnaire (PAQ-C), Munich Physical Fitness Test (MFT), Breathless Beliefs Questionnaire (BBQ), Cystic Fibrosis Questionnaire-Revised (CFQ-R). Parents completed the Breathless Beliefs Questionnaire-Caregiver Version (BBQ-C), Fear of Disease Progression Questionnaire (FoP), CFQ-R-Caregiver Version. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used for analysis.

RESULTS

The mean BBQ score of children with CF was 28.62 ± 10.76. The BBQ was correlated with MIP%, MEP, MEP%, and CFQ-R subscales (p < 0.05). The mean BBQ-C score for parents was 28.06 ± 9.85. The BBQ-C was correlated with PAQ-C, MFT, FoP, and CFQ-R subscales (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Children with CF and their parents show high levels of dyspnea-related kinesiophobia. In children, it was associated with lower respiratory muscle strength and reduced quality of life, while parental dyspnea-related kinesiophobia was more strongly associated with the child's physical activity, fitness, quality of life. Parental dyspnea-related kinesiophobia may be more closely related to the child's functional abilities than the child's dyspnea-related kinesiophobia, highlighting the potential value of addressing psychosocial factors in CF rehabilitation.