Abstract
Background/Objectives: Total hip arthroplasty (THA) improves quality of life in patients with hip osteoarthritis (OA) by alleviating pain and restoring mobility. Kinesiophobia (i.e., fear of performing specific movements to avoid pain and re-injury) negatively affects the quality of life after THA, while social support impacts postoperative quality of life by influencing recovery and well-being. This cross-sectional study investigates the effects of kinesiophobia and social support, as well as their interaction, on the quality of life after THA. Methods: A total of 125 patients participated in the study, all of whom had undergone THA for end-stage hip OA. The Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK), the Oslo Social Support Scale (OSSS), and the Total Quality of Life scale (T-QoL) were used for the assessment of the study variables. Multiple linear regression was conducted considering the T-QoL subscales (emotional and physical well-being, functional engagement, resilience, and peri-traumatic experience) as dependent variables. Results: Kinsesiophobia correlated negatively with physical and emotional well-being, peri-traumatic experience, and resilience. Social support was positively correlated with emotional well-being, functional engagement, and resilience; however, it also buffered the negative relationship between kinesiophobia and peri-traumatic experience. Age was negatively correlated with emotional and physical well-being, functional engagement, and resilience, while the patient being female also correlated negatively with emotional well-being and functional engagement. Finaly, self-perception of mental health problems was negatively correlated with resilience. Conclusions: Future studies may further investigate the pathway between kinesiophobia and social support on the one hand and quality of life on the other hand, as well as the interaction between social support and kinesiophobia.