Kinesiophobia and symptomatology in chronic fatigue syndrome: A psychometric study of two questionnaires

Objectives. The aims of the study were to examine the reliability of the Dutch and French versions of the Tampa scale kinesiophobia (TSK) version chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), and to examine the reliability and validity of the Dutch and French versions of the CFS symptom list. Design. Repeated-measures design. Methods. Native Dutch speakers (N = 100) and native French (N = 48) speakers fulfilling the diagnostic criteria for CFS were asked to list the five most important symptoms and to complete the TSK-CFS, the CFS symptom list, and the Short Form 36 Health Status Survey or SF-36. A modified version of the TSK-CFS and the CFS symptom list was filled in within 24 hours of the first assessment. Results. The French and Dutch version of the TSK-CFS and CFS symptom lists displayed good reliability (ICC >= .83). The CFS symptom list was internally consistent (Cronbach's alpha >= .93) and concurrently valid with the SF-36. For the native Dutch and French speakers, respectively, 82 and 78% of the self-reported symptoms matched the content of CFS symptom list. Conclusions. The results are in support of the psychometric properties of the French and Dutch versions of both the TSK-CFS and the CFS symptom list for assessing kinesiophobia and symptom severity, respectively.