Psychometric Validation of the French-Canadian Version of the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia for Parkinson’s Disease

BACKGROUND: Kinesiophobia is defined as an excessive and irrational fear of movement and physical activity. Individuals living with Parkinson's disease (PD) can be at risk of developing this phobia, due to the debilitating nature of the disease's motor symptoms such as impaired balance, bradykinesia, rigidity and tremor. This is particularly problematic, as exercise is crucial for people with PD, especially considering its potential to slow down disease progression. The Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia for Parkinson's disease (TSK-PD) is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring kinesiophobia in PD. However, no French translation of this scale existed prior to this study. METHODS: The English TSK-PD was translated, cross-culturally adapted into Canadian French, and administered to 102 ambulatory French-speaking Canadians living with PD, aged 46-83. Statistical analyses were then conducted to examine the psychometric properties of the translated scale. RESULTS: Results confirmed the construct validity of the translated version and revealed high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.90), good test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.84), with no evidence of floor or ceiling effects. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a two-factor structure consisting of "Activity Avoidance" and "Harm." CONCLUSION: The French-Canadian TSK-PD can be recommended for use in research and in clinical settings to better identify fear of movement in French-speaking PD patients and promote physical activity.