Kinesiophobia, Physical Activity, Sleep, and Quality of Life in Women With Chronic Pelvic Pain

Overview

The study will include women who present to the Obstetrics and Gynecology outpatient clinic of Kırşehir Ahi Evran Training and Research Hospital with complaints of pelvic pain and are diagnosed with PCAS after a detailed examination, as well as healthy women. All included women will be administered the Tampa Kinesiophobia Scale (TKS), the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (Short), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Questionnaire (PSQI), and the Short Form 36 (p-36). The control group will consist of women who meet the inclusion and exclusion criteria but are not diagnosed with PCAS.

This study is designed as an observational, controlled, cross-sectional study to investigate the relationship between kinesiophobia, physical activity, sleep quality, and health-related quality of life in women with PCAS compared with healthy women. Women presenting to the Obstetrics and Gynecology outpatient clinic of Kırşehir Ahi Evran Training and Research Hospital with complaints of pelvic pain will undergo a detailed clinical evaluation by an obstetrician-gynecologist. Participants diagnosed with PCAS following clinical assessment and meeting the eligibility criteria will be included in the PCAS group. The control group will consist of healthy women without a diagnosis of PCAS who meet the study's eligibility criteria. All participants will be informed about the study objectives and procedures, and written informed consent will be obtained before enrollment. Demographic and relevant clinical characteristics will be recorded using a standardized data collection form. Participants in both groups will undergo a comprehensive assessment using the following validated questionnaires: Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK): To assess fear of movement and fear of injury or reinjury associated with physical activity. International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF): To evaluate participants' physical activity levels. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI): To assess subjective sleep quality and sleep disturbances. 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36): To evaluate health-related quality of life across physical and mental health domains. All questionnaires will be administered during a single assessment session. No therapeutic intervention will be provided as part of the study, and participants will continue to receive routine clinical care as appropriate. The primary objective is to compare kinesiophobia levels between women with PCAS and healthy controls. Secondary objectives are to compare physical activity levels, sleep quality, and health-related quality of life between the groups and to examine the relationships between kinesiophobia and these variables. The findings are expected to contribute to a better understanding of the physical and psychosocial factors associated with PCAS and may provide a basis for future rehabilitation strategies addressing movement-related fear, physical inactivity, and reduced quality of life.