[The Brazilian version of the Fear Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire]

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the psychometric properties and validate the Portuguese version of the Fear Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ-Brazil). This instrument assesses how beliefs and fear of individuals with lower back pain affect two subscales related to their physical activities (FABQ-Phys) and work (FABQ-Work). The questionnaire was translated into Brazilian Portuguese, following the recommended methodology, and applied to 53 individuals with non-specific chronic lower back pain. The test-retest intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC = 0.84 and 0.91) and the internal consistency (Cronbach's = 0.80 and 0.90) for FABQ-Phys and FABQ-Work, respectively, were acceptable. The stepwise multiple regression analyses revealed statistically significant correlations between all isolated items with their respective subscales, and the set of the items explained 99% of the changes in scores for each subscale. No significant correlations were found between the subscales; however, both the FABQ-Phys and FABQ-Work subscales were positively associated with pain intensity (visual numerical scale) and degree of disability (Roland Morris Questionnaire). These findings supported the evidence that the FABQ-Brazil showed adequate psychometric properties for individuals with chronic lower back pain.