Fear of movement (FOM) was common among patients with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (KOA), and this could negatively impact physical activity, a recent study found. Psychological variables were significantly associated with FOM, suggesting behavioral and psychological interventions may decrease FOM and improve outcomes among individuals with symptomatic KOA. Participants (n=350) enrolled in a clinical trial completed the Brief Fear of Movement (BFOM) scale prior to randomization. The relationships of BFOM with the following characteristics were examined: age, sex, race, education, pain and activities of daily living (ADL) subscales of the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), knee symptom duration, depressive symptoms (8-item Patient Health Questionnaire [PHQ-8]), history of falls and knee injury, family history of knee problems, self-efficacy for exercise (SEE), and unilateral balance test. Researchers found:

• The majority of participants (77%) agreed with at least 1 item on the BFOM scale, and 36% endorsed 3+ items, suggesting a high degree of FOM.
• In the multivariable model, the following remained significant after backward selection: age, KOOS ADL, PHQ-8, and SEE.