Herrero Montes, ManuelFernández de las Peñas, CésarFerrer Pargada, DiegoIzquierdo Cuervo, SheilaAbascal Bolado, BeatrizValera Calero, Juan AntonioParas Bravo, Paula2024-04-252024-04-252023-02-23Herrero-Montes, M.; Fernández-de-las-Peñas, C.; Ferrer-Pargada, D.; Izquierdo-Cuervo, S.; Abascal-Bolado, B.; Valera-Calero, J.A.; Paras-Bravo, P. Association of Kinesiophobia with Catastrophism and Sensitization-Associated Symptoms in COVID-19 Survivors with Post-COVID Pain. Diagnostics 2023, 13, 847. https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics130508472075-441810.3390/diagnostics13050847https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/1035322022 Descuento MDPI (This article belongs to the Special Issue Musculoskeletal and Neuropathic Pain in COVID-19: Diagnosis and Management Challenge)Pain symptoms after the acute phase of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) are present in almost 50% of COVID-19 survivors. The presence of kinesiophobia is a risk factor which may promote and perpetuate pain. This study aimed to investigate variables associated with the presence of kinesiophobia in a sample of previously hospitalized COVID-19 survivors exhibiting post-COVID pain. An observational study was conducted in three urban hospitals in Spain, including one hundred and forty-six COVID-19 survivors with post-COVID pain. Demographic (age, weight, height), clinical (intensity and duration of pain), psychological (anxiety level, depressive level, sleep quality), cognitive (catastrophizing), sensitization-associated symptoms, and health-related quality of life variables were collected in 146 survivors with post-COVID pain, as well as whether they exhibited kinesiophobia. Stepwise multiple linear regression models were conducted to identify variables significantly associated with kinesiophobia. Patients were assessed a mean of 18.8 (SD 1.8) months after hospital discharge. Kinesiophobia levels were positively associated with anxiety levels (r: 0.356, p < 0.001), depression levels (r: 0.306, p < 0.001), sleep quality (r: 0.288, p < 0.001), catastrophism (r: 0.578, p < 0.001), and sensitization-associated symptoms (r: 0.450, p < 0.001). The stepwise regression analysis revealed that 38.1% of kinesiophobia variance was explained by catastrophism (r2 adj: 0.329, B = 0.416, t = 8.377, p < 0.001) and sensitization-associated symptoms (r2 adj: 0.381, B = 0.130, t = 3.585, p < 0.001). Kinesiophobia levels were associated with catastrophism and sensitization-associated symptoms in previously hospitalized COVID-19 survivors with post-COVID pain. Identification of patients at a higher risk of developing a higher level of kinesiophobia, associated with post-COVID pain symptoms, could lead to better therapeutic strategies.engAttribution 4.0 Internationalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/journal articlehttps://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics13050847open access61COVID-19painpost-COVIDkinesiophobiasensitizationcatastrophismCiencias Biomédicas3299 Otras Especialidades Médicas