The Effect of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on Kinesiophobia in Older Adults with Chronic Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Zahra Kheirkhah, Fatemeh Fallahi, Khadijeh Sharifi et al.
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In 30 seconds
This randomized controlled trial evaluated mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) for kinesiophobia in 56 older adults with chronic knee osteoarthritis in Kashan, Iran. Participants received eight 90-minute MBCT sessions or routine care, with Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia scores assessed at baseline, immediately after treatment, and four weeks later. Scores fell from 29.46 ± 3.81 to 25.68 ± 3.22 in the MBCT group and from 28.64 ± 4.78 to 26.68 ± 5.15 in controls by week 8. Change trajectories differed between groups, but adjusted between-group differences at individual assessments were not statistically significant.
Key findings
- A significant group-by-time interaction was observed (p = 0.040), indicating different kinesiophobia trajectories between groups.
- At week 8, mean scores were 25.68 ± 3.22 with MBCT and 26.68 ± 5.15 with routine care.
- The adjusted difference in change from baseline to week 8 was -1.60 points (95% CI -3.25 to 0.05; p = 0.05).
- Adjusted between-group differences at baseline, week 4, and week 8 were not statistically significant (all p > 0.05).
Why it matters
Kinesiophobia can be relevant to how people with knee osteoarthritis approach movement and activity. This trial suggests that MBCT may be associated with a different pattern of change in fear of movement over time, while the lack of significant between-group differences at individual time points makes the size and clinical importance of any benefit uncertain.
What to keep in mind
The trial included 56 participants from health centers in one Iranian city, and follow-up extended only four weeks beyond the intervention.