Dutch Version Fear-Avoidance Component Scale (FACS)

Chronic musculoskeletal disorders such as low back and neck pain are responsible for an enormous global burden. Fear-avoidance (FA) can be a predictor for the transition from subacute to chronic low back pain. In patients with neck pain, those who were less fearful about harming their neck, had higher pain tolerance, which might have a positive impact on their level of disability. A new scale, the Fear-Avoidance Component Scale (FACS) was developed by Neblett, Mayer, Hartzell, Williams and Gatchel (2015) to assess FA. It consists of an all-encompassing set of constructs that more effectively deals with all critical issues of the FA concept than current scales do. Current scales have been criticized because of following findings: limited construct validity, little evidence on treatment responsiveness, a lack of evidence-based cut-off scores and items being too narrow or too general. The new scale comprehensively assesses all cognitive, emotional and behavioral components related to the updated version of the FA model by combining items of well-known scales in context of the FA model with items on one's perception of victimization and blame related to an injury. A Dutch version of the FACS is currently lacking. Subsequently, the aim of this study is to investigate different psychometric properties of the generated Dutch version in patients with musculoskeletal disorders.

Musculoskeletal Pain, Musculoskeletal Pain Disorder, Fear of Pain, Fear of Injury, Low Back Pain, Recurrent, Neck Pain, Shoulder Pain, Knee Pain Chronic, Hip Pain Chronic, PROMs

Patients with either shoulder pain, knee pain, hip pain, low back pain, pelvic pain or neck pain as their primary pain complaint, lasting for 6 weeks or longer

Questionnaire evaluating fear-avoidance related to pain (for all participants) 20 items range from 0-100

Questionnaire evaluating fear-avoidance related to pain (for all participants) 20 items range from 0-100

Questionnaire evaluating disability (only used in patients with shoulder pain) 30 items Range total score 0-100 5 point-scale

Questionnaire evaluating disability (only used in patients with shoulder pain) 30 items Range total score 0-100 5 point-scale

Questionnaire evaluating disability (only used in patients with hip pain) Subscores per domain 40 items 5 point scale 5 domains: symptoms (5 items), pain (10 items), activities of daily living (17 items), sport and leisure time (4 items), quality of life (4 items)

Questionnaire evaluating disability (only used in patients with hip pain) Subscores per domain 40 items 5 point scale 5 domains: symptoms (5 items), pain (10 items), activities of daily living (17 items), sport and leisure time (4 items), quality of life (4 items)

Questionnaire evaluating disability (only used in patients with knee pain) Subscores per domain 42 items 5 domains: pain (9 items), symptoms (7 items), activities of daily life (17 items), sports and leisure (5 items), quality of life (4 items) 5 point Likert scale

Questionnaire evaluating disability (only used in patients with knee pain) Subscores per domain 42 items 5 domains: pain (9 items), symptoms (7 items), activities of daily life (17 items), sports and leisure (5 items), quality of life (4 items) 5 point Likert scale

Questionnaire evaluating disability (only used in patients with low back pain) 10 items Total score range from 0-100

Questionnaire evaluating disability (only used in patients with low back pain) 10 items Total score range from 0-100

Questionnaire evaluating disability (only used in patients with neck pain) 10 items Total score range from 0-100

Questionnaire evaluating disability (only used in patients with neck pain) 10 items Total score range from 0-100

Questionnaire evaluating kinesiophobia related to pain (for all participants) 17 items total score from 17-68

Questionnaire evaluating kinesiophobia related to pain (for all participants) 17 items total score from 17-68

Questionnaire evaluating catastrophizing (for all participants) 13 items 5 point Likert Scale Total score 0-52

Questionnaire evaluating catastrophizing (for all participants) 13 items 5 point Likert Scale Total score 0-52

Questionnaire evaluating perceived injustice (for all participants) 12 items 5 point Likert-scale Total score range 0-48

Questionnaire evaluating perceived injustice (for all participants) 12 items 5 point Likert-scale Total score range 0-48

Questionnaire evaluating anxiety and depression (for all participants) 2 subscales: anxiety (7 items) and depression (7 items) Total score 0-21 per subscale

Questionnaire evaluating anxiety and depression (for all participants) 2 subscales: anxiety (7 items) and depression (7 items) Total score 0-21 per subscale

Inclusion criteria for all patients between 18-80 years old current pain complaint is not surgically treated not being currently treated by a physiotherapist for pain complaint Dutch language is mother tongue At least 6 weeks of pain Exclusion criteria for all patients Pain from a non-musculoskeletal origin (e.g., tumour) neurological disease impaired cognition Inclusion criteria for healthy controls Not being disabled due to MSK pain based on cut-off per disability questionnaire Between 18-80 years old Dutch language is mother tongue