The prevalence of fibromyalgia in Brazil – a population-based study with secondary data of the study on chronic pain prevalence in Brazil

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The prevalence of the fibromyalgia syndrome has been estimated in some Brazilian cities and regions, and previous population-based studies investigating this prevalence, as well as the profile of medical consultations are unknown. METHODS: This study used the database constructed by a previous study of authors to identify the prevalence of chronic pain in Brazil. The cases that reported pain for more than 6 months and with a diagnosis of fibromyalgia were selected. The studied descriptive variables were age, intensity and frequency of pain, pain interference in self-care, walking, working, social life, sexual life, sleep quality, if pain causes sadness or depression or influences the emotional aspects. The total sample was evaluated by rheumatologists and pain-expert doctors. RESULTS: Thirteen cases from the initial database were selected since they reported the diagnosis of the prevalence of the fibromyalgia syndrome representing 2% of the initial study population, average age 35.8 years (9.8). The predominance of the fibromyalgia syndrome was in females (n=11). Pain intensity was 7.3 (2.4), the frequency and duration of pain were constant in the majority of the sample (n=9). Most of the cases report a serious pain interference with sleep (n=8), many said that pain interferes with the work (n=5), irritability (5) and finally, some report that pain has a moderate interference in self-care (n=5), walking (n=6), social life (n=6), sexual life (n=5) and causes moderate sadness or depression (n=5). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of the fibromyalgia syndrome was estimated in 2% of the Brazilian population, based on secondary data of a study on chronic pain prevalence in Brazil. The data was collected in 2015-2016. The most reported complaints were intense and daily pain that interferes with sleep. The prevalence of fibromyalgia in Brazil-a population-based study with secondary data of the study on chronic pain prevalence in Brazil A prevalência da fibromialgia no Brasil-estudo de base populacional com dados secundários da pesquisa de prevalência de dor crônica brasileira

The Multidimensional Daily Diary of Fatigue-Fibromyalgia-17 Items (MDF-Fibro-17): Evidence from Validity, Reliability and Transcultural Invariance between Portugal and Brazil

“…In Brazil, it is estimated that 2% of the population has been diagnosed with FM. Specifically, almost 4.2 million Brazilians suffer from this syndrome, and women are also more affected by FM compared to men, with a proportion of 5.5 cases compared to one case, respectively [25]. These findings support the previously mentioned literature showing that FM predominately impacts women, compared to men, and that Portuguese native speakers have higher scores on FM-related symptoms such as pain and fatigue.…”

Differences between Portuguese and Brazilian Patients with Fibromyalgia Syndrome: Exploring the Associations across Age, Time of Diagnosis, and Fatigue-Related Symptoms

“…Brazil has a larger geographic proportion, making access to health care more difficult. In addition, Brazil ends up having different social realities between states and regions compared to Portugal, which ends up generating social inequalities, thus delaying the diagnosis of FM syndrome and its pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments [ 22 ].…”

“…In Brazil, it is estimated that 2.5% of the population has FM, which represents approximately 4.2 million Brazilians with FM, and the ratio between men and women diagnosed with FM is 1:5.5 [ 22 ]. However, in Brazil, due to social disparity and geographical distances from health care centers, patients with FM have more difficulties accessing the necessary care and treatment [ 21 ].…”

Aspectos Psicológicos da Fibromialgia – Revisão Integrativa

“…Ela acomete mulheres entre 30 e 55 anos de idade em sua maioria, ocorrendo principalmente em populações que estão em estado de vulnerabilidade social, política e econômica (Mattos & Cunha, 2017;Souza & Perissinotti, 2018). Além do sofrimento físico, há um sofrimento psicológico com ocorrência de transtornos depressivos e ansiosos.…”