Abstract: Objective: To classify the developmental trajectory of Fear of Progression (FoP) after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) in patients with coronary artery disease and to identify the influencing factors, providing a reference for healthcare professionals to develop effective intervention strategies. Methods: Convenience sampling was used to recruit 258 patients with coronary artery disease who underwent PCI in the cardiology department of a tertiary grade A hospital in Binzhou from April to December 2024. The Fear of Progression Questionnaire-Short Form (FoP-Q-SF) was employed to assess the FoP of the participants on the second day after surgery and at 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after discharge. The latent growth mixture modeling and unordered multinomial Logistic regression were utilized for data analysis. Results: Three trajectories of FoP after PCI in patients with coronary artery disease were identified: a high fear of rising then falling group (31.0%), a medium fear of slow decline group (45.7%), and a low fear of stabilization group (23.3%), respectively. Occupational status, family history of coronary artery disease, mode of intervention, social support, and disease perception were influential factors for the potential categories of FoP trajectory after PCI in patients with coronary artery disease (all P<0.05). Conclusion: Heterogeneity exists in the developmental trajectory of FoP after PCI in patients with coronary artery disease. Healthcare professionals need to develop targeted interventions based on the influencing factors of different categories to reduce patients' FoP levels.

Key words: Percutaneous Coronary Intervention; Fear of Progression; latent growth mixture modeling; influencing factors