Dyspnea-related kinesiophobia in cystic fibrosis: relationship with pulmonary function and respiratory muscle strength

<bold>Background:</bold> One of the main symptoms that causes functional impairment in cystic fibrosis (CF) is dyspnea, and measures of fear associated with dyspnea have been evaluated in other medical conditions and have been determined to be associated with certain outcomes. In this regard, our study aimed to evaluate dyspnea-related kinesiophobia in children with CF and to determine its relationship between pulmonary functions and respiratory muscle strength. <bold>Methods:</bold> Participants in this study are based on a convenience sample of patients recruited during their regular CF clinic appointments. Twenty children (11 female, 9 male) completed measures of (pulmonary function pulmonary function test-PFT), respiratory muscle strength (maximal inspiratory pressure-MIP, maximal expiratory pressure-MEP), and dyspnea-related kinesiophobia (Breathlessness Beliefs Questionnaire-BBQ). <bold>Results:</bold> The mean BBQ score was 29.70±11.51. There was a high correlation between BBQ and MIP (r= -0.616; p=0.025), MEP (r= -0.590; p=0.020), but there was no correlation between PFT parameters (p˃0.05). <bold>Conclusion:</bold> Our study provides data on the presence of dyspnea-related kinesiophobia in CF patients. It was determined that as respiratory muscle strength increased, dyspnea-related kinesiophobia decreased. It is important to reduce barriers to promoting regular physical activity in CF. In this regard, the findings of our study showed that respiratory muscle strength should be taken into consideration when creating programs targeting dyspnea-related kinesiophobia.