Kinesiophobia and associated factors among lung transplant recipients: a cross-sectional study

Background Kinesiophobia is a prominent barrier to physical activity in lung transplant recipients (LTRs). However, research on kinesiophobia of LTRs remains limited. This cross-sectional study aimed to explore the status and associated factors of kinesiophobia in LTRs. Methods A convenience sample of 200 LTRs from a tertiary hospital’s lung transplant unit was recruited from March to November, 2025. Ultimately, 198 valid questionnaires were included in the statistical analysis. The survey instruments included a demographic questionnaire, Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia, Exercise Benefits/Barriers Scale, Self-Efficacy for Exercise Scale, Exercise Social Support Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale, Charlson Comorbidity Index, and Duke Activity Status Index. Data were analyzed using SPSS 27.0. Results The total kinesiophobia score for LTRs was 41.00 (38.00, 44.00), with 75.8% (95% CI: 69.7%–81.8%) of recipients scoring above the conventional cutoff (37). Multivariate analysis showed that factors such as age ( B = 0.108, β = 0.250, p < 0.001), anxiety ( B = 0.433, β = 0.303, p < 0.001), perceived exercise barriers ( B = −0.185, β = −0.198, p = 0.002), and self-efficacy ( B = −0.438, β = −0.214, p = 0.002) were significantly associated with adapted TSK-17 scores. Conclusion These findings suggest that transplant teams should assess kinesiophobia, with particular attention to older recipients, and that measures aimed at reducing anxiety and perceived barriers and enhancing self-efficacy may help mitigate kinesiophobia and encourage participation in rehabilitation.