The Swedish version of the Athletic Fear Avoidance Questionnaire: a psychometric study conducted among amateur male and female soccer players

Given the established merits and psychometric properties of the Athletic Fear Avoidance Questionnaire (AFAQ), the present study aimed to translate, cross-culturally adapt and validate the tool for use in a Swedish context.

We included 95 amateur soccer players (male n = 31, female n = 64) from a convenience sample of eight soccer teams, who reported a sports injury within the past 12 months and were older than 15 years (mean 22, SD ± 6). They answered web-based surveys (SurveyMonkey©), including the AFAQ and the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK). Construct validity of the AFAQ was evaluated relative to the TSK, using Spearman’s Rho. Reliability was assessed in a subset of participants (n = 53) with a test-retest evaluation of the individual items (Kappa^W) and the total score (Intra Class Correlation, ICC_2.1). Internal consistency of the tool was assessed through Cronbach’s Alpha (α).

The cross-cultural translation and adaptation of the AFAQ was considered sound. The AFAQ-Swe showed a strong correlation with the TSK (r = 0.82), in line with the predefined hypothesis. The test-retest results demonstrated good-to-substantial reliability for the individual items (Kappa^W 0.52–0.82) and excellent reliability for the total score (ICC_2.1= 0.80). The internal consistency was considered satisfactory (α = 0.85).

The AFAQ-Swe demonstrates good measurement properties, with strong reliability and validity. The AFAQ-Swe is a concise, user-friendly tool that can be effectively utilised in the Swedish context, particularly among soccer players. However, further research is necessary to evaluate AFAQ’s predictive validity for a safe return to sports.