Translation and Validation of Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia in Urdu Language for Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain

Background: Chronic Low Back Pain (CLBP) significantly impacts patients' quality of life and is often associated with kinesiophobia, the fear of movement due to pain. The Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK) is a recognized tool for assessing this condition, but there is a need for a version tailored to Urdu-speaking populations. Objective: This study aimed to translate and validate the TSK into Urdu for patients with CLBP, ensuring its reliability and cultural relevance in the Pakistani context. Methods: This descriptive cross-cultural linguistic validation study followed Bombardier, Beaton, and Guillemin’s guidelines. The TSK underwent forward and backward translation by two independent translators, a professor of Urdu literature and a medical professional. A final version was created and reviewed by bilingual experts, then validated by a panel of 20 physical therapists. This validated version was tested on 150 patients to determine the reliability of the Urdu version of the instrument. Results: The Urdu version of the TSK achieved a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.986 post-translation and 0.817 after testing with the target population. The inter-item correlation varied between 0.443 to 0.987. The intra-class correlation coefficient, indicating test-retest reliability, ranged from 0.1 to 0.8, demonstrating high reliability. Conclusion: The Urdu version of the TSK is a valid and reliable tool for assessing kinesiophobia in patients with CLBP. It exhibits good construct validity, high internal consistency, as well as good test-retest reliability and low to moderate responsiveness.