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ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE

Prevalence and determinants of kinesiophobia in colorectal cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy: A cross-sectional study

Xuemin He1† ,  Zhenzhen Gu1,2† ,  Yeping Zhan1 ,  Minqing Zhu1 ,  Liqun Chen1 ,  Yawen Li1 ,  Jiantao He3* ,  Weisheng Xu3*
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1 Department of Nursing, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
2 Department of Nursing, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
3 Department of Pain Medicine, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
†These authors contributed equally to this work.
EJMO, 025010563 https://doi.org/10.36922/EJMO025010563
Received: 31 December 2025 | Revised: 31 January 2026 | Accepted: 12 February 2026 | Published online: 14 April 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nursing Care in Cancer)
© 2026 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution -Noncommercial 4.0 International License (CC-by the license) ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ )
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Abstract

Introduction: Kinesiophobia has been well described in orthopedic surgery, chronic pain, cardiac rehabilitation, and cancer surgery. However, research on kinesiophobia in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients receiving chemotherapy remains limited.

Objectives: This study aims to quantify the prevalence of kinesiophobia and investigate its independent correlates among CRC patients receiving chemotherapy.

Methods: A total of 149 CRC patients receiving intravenous chemotherapy were recruited from July 2023 to June 2025. Kinesiophobia (Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia-11 [TSK] ≥ 26), cancer-related fatigue (numerical rating scale for measuring cancer-related fatigue [NRS-CRF]), anxiety/depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), social support (Social Support Rating Scale), general self efficacy (General Self-Efficacy Scale), and coping style (Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire) were evaluated. Multivariable linear regression with stepwise selection was applied to determine independent predictors of TSK score.

Results: The mean TSK score was 32.17 } 6.46, with 109 (73.16%) patients meeting the criterion for clinically relevant kinesiophobia. After adjustment, only higher NRS-CRF (β = 3.647, p < 0.001), higher anxiety (β = 0.189, p = 0.043), and lower self-efficacy (β = –0.263, p < 0.001) remained significantly associated with increased kinesiophobia, explaining 84.9% of the variance (adjusted R2 = 0.849; F = 60.644, p < 0.001).

Conclusion: Three-quarters of CRC patients undergoing chemotherapy exhibited kinesiophobia. Cancer-related fatigue, anxiety, and low self-efficacy were the main influencing factors. Effective interventions targeting these factors would be an important strategy for overcoming kinesiophobia and improving the quality of life.

Keywords
Kinesiophobia
Colorectal cancer
Chemotherapy
Cancer-related fatigue
Anxiety
Self-efficacy
Funding
This study was supported by the Program for Research oriented Physicians of Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital (2023YJXHS005).
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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Eurasian Journal of Medicine and Oncology, Electronic ISSN: 2587-196X Print ISSN: 2587-2400, Published by AccScience Publishing
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