Kinesiophobia, self-reported ankle function, and sex are associated with perceived ankle instability in college club sports athletes with chronic ankle instability

To investigate the association between sex, self-reported ankle function, pain intensity, kinesiophobia, and perceived ankle instability in athletes with chronic ankle instability (CAI).Cross-Sectional Study.University.College club sports athletes with CAI (n = 42).Relationships with the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool (CAIT) score and the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia-11 (TSK-11), the Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM), sex (0: male, 1: female), and ankle pain intensity by the Numeric Rating Scale were explored with multiple regression analysis.The regression model explained 50.3% of the variance of the CAIT score (P < 0.001), and the TSK-11 score (B = -0.382, P = 0.002), the FAAM sports subscale score (B = 0.122, P = 0.038), and sex (B = -2.646, P = 0.031) were significant independent variables for the CAIT score (P < 0.001), while pain intensity was not significant (B = -0.182, P = 0.504). These results indicated that higher TSK-11 score, lower FAAM sports subscale score, and being female were related to lower CAIT score.Kinesiophobia related to perceived instability along with self-reported function and sex in athletes with CAI. Clinicians should assess the psychological aspects of athletes with CAI.