Betül ERGÜN, Muhammet Şahin ELBASTI, Songül BAĞLAN YENTÜR, Gülşah YAMANCAN
Turkish Journal of Kinesiology - 2026;12(1):35-42
Psychosocial factors such as exercise beliefs, kinesiophobia, and stress are important in rheumatic diseases. This study examined these variables across three clinical groups based on disease type. A total of 119 patients were enrolled and categorized into three groups as follows: (Group 1) Axial Inflammatory Diseases (n = 41), comprising individuals diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS, n = 23) and Behçet's disease with axial involvement (n = 18); (Group 2) Peripheral/Systemic Autoimmune Diseases (n = 41), including Rheumatoid Arthritis (n = 30), Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (n = 5), and Systemic Sclerosis (n = 6); and (Group 3) Fibromyalgia Syndrome (n = 37). Participants completed the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Tampa Kinesiophobia Scale (TKS), and Exercise- Related Health Beliefs Attitude Scale (ERHBAS). Intergroup differences were analyzed using ANOVA, MANCOVA, and Kruskal-Wallis tests; correlations were assessed with Spearman's rho. Significant differences were observed between groups in gender and smoking (p<0.001), but not in alcohol use (p=0.708). ERHBAS total and subscale scores were similar across groups (p>0.05). Age differed between groups (p=0.024), significant only between Groups 1 and 2. PSS scores were higher in Group 3 compared to Groups 1 and 2 (p<0.001), while TKS scores showed no group differences (p=0.844). Correlation analysis indicated positive associations of age with PSS (p=0.018) and TKS (p=0.006), and a negative association between ERHBAS and PSS (p=0.037). Perceived stress was higher in Group 3. Kinesiophobia was similar across groups and increased with age. Exercise-related beliefs were similar but decreased as stress increased. These results highlight the role of psychosocial factors in managing rheumatic diseases.
