First item response theory analysis on Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (fear of movement) in arthritis

Mielenz, Thelma J.; Edwards, Michael C.; Callahan, Leigh F.

doi:10.1016/j.jclinepi.2009.04.011

« Previous Next »Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
Volume 63, Issue 3 , Pages 315-320, March 2010

First item response theory analysis on Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (fear of movement) in arthritis

Thelma J. Mielenz
- Thurston Arthritis Research Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Division of Physical Therapy, Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Corresponding author. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Thurston Arthritis Research Center, 3300 Thurston Bldg., CB#7280, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7280, USA. Tel.: +1-919-966-0562; fax: +1-919-966-1739.
Michael C. Edwards
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
Leigh F. Callahan
- Thurston Arthritis Research Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Orthopedics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Social Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA

Accepted 20 April 2009. published online 07 September 2009.

Abstract

Objectives

To conduct the initial modern measurement theory analyses because of its many advantages on the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia and emerging evidence suggesting that fear of movement influences functional disability in people with arthritis.

Study Design and Setting

Secondary analysis of 347 participants from a randomized controlled trial evaluating The People with Arthritis Can Exercise program. The original Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia has 17 items and we collected 16 items (excluding item 6). An item response theory analysis was conducted using the graded response model in MULTILOG. Before this, a series of factor analyses assessed the unidimensionality assumption of this model.

Results

Based on the factor analyses, we removed the reverse-coded items (4, 8, 12, and 16). The item response theory analysis revealed that item 13 had an exceedingly low slope and was dropped.

Conclusion

Item response theory analyses looked at each item's performance and we can strongly suggest using our modified scale (11 items out of the 16 items), which provides relatively uniform precision of measurement across a wide range of fear of movement in people with arthritis. The item parameters from this study can build a computerized adaptive testing for this scale.

Keywords: Item response theory, Kinesiophobia, Fear of movement, Arthritis, Exercise, Physical Activity