When to Use

• Assessment of fear-avoidance beliefs in athletes with musculoskeletal injuries (primarily low back pain).
• Identifying patients at risk for chronic disability and prolonged time away from sport.
• Initial assessment and tracking throughout physical therapy.

Clinical Objective

Structure & Scoring

1. 116 Items: Rated 0 (Completely Disagree) to 6 (Completely Agree).
2. 2Subscale 1: Physical Activity (FABQ-PA). Sum of items 2, 3, 4, 5 (Max 24).
3. 3Subscale 2: Work (FABQ-W). Sum of items 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15 (Max 42).
4. 4Distractors: Items 1, 8, 13, 14, 16 are not scored.

High-Risk Cut-offs

Predictive Value

High FABQ scores are strong predictors of poor outcome and failure to return to work/sport, often carrying more weight than the severity of the initial anatomical injury. Early identification allows for "Yellow Flag" management strategies.

Clinical Pearls

Management Considerations

1. 1Education: Focus on the safety of movement and the "hurt ≠ harm" principle.
2. 2Graded Exposure: Slowly re-introduce feared movements in a structured way.
3. 3Psychology Referral: Indicated for extremely high scores resistant to PT-led education.

Related Tools

Key Reference