Objective To understand the potential categories of kinesiophobia in patients with ankylosing spondylitis, and to analyze the characteristics and influencing factors of patients in each category.Methods A total of 220 outpatients and inpatients with ankylosing spondylitis were selected by utilizing convenience sampling method, then they were investigated by using a general information questionnaire, the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK), the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI), and the Multidimensional Self-efficacy for Exercise Scale (MSES).Results The participants′ TSK score was 43.00(37.25,47.00), and 75.00% of them experienced kinesiophobia. The patients′ level of kinesiophobia could be divided into three categories:low level kinesiophobia group (25.91%), medium level kinesiophobia group (55.46%), high level kinesiophobia group (18.63%).Logistic regression analysis showed that, family history, whether performing functional exercise every week, whether participating in sports every week, whether received health education or professional guidance on exercise, disease activity index, physical function index and exercise self-efficacy were the main influencing factors of the potential categories of kinesiophobia in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (all P＜0.05).Conclusion The kinesiophobia in patients with ankylosing spondylitis is at a medium and above level, and it has obvious classification characteristics, which are affected by many factors.Clinical nurses should provide precise interventions according to the characteristics and influencing factors of different groups of patients, so as to reduce their level of kinesiophobia and improve the effect of exercise therapy.