Prevalence and predictors of unsupervised walking and physical activity in a community population of women with fibromyalgia

Abstract

Physical exercise is recognized as a component of the evidence-based guidelines for treatment of fibromyalgia. Walking is a low-moderate intensity exercise easily adaptable to a fibromyalgia patient's situation. The present study aims to estimate the prevalence of unsupervised walking for exercise in women with fibromyalgia, to describe their level of physical activity and to identify their predictors among socio-demographic, symptom perception and medical advice to walk. A cross-sectional survey with 920 women (all members of fibromyalgia associations) completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form and self-reported scales to assess symptom perception, walking, medical advice to walk and physical comorbidity. The prevalence of reported walking regularly as physical exercise was 30.8 % and it was predicted by medical advice (odds ratio, OR 1.876), age (OR 1.021) and fatigue intensity (OR 0.912). The prevalence of physical activity was 16 % for high-intensity activity, 40 % for moderate activity and 44 % for low activity. Predictors of low versus moderate and high physical activity were pain intensity (OR 1.171) and fatigue impact perception (OR 1.076). Evidence shows a low percentage of women with fibromyalgia walking regularly for physical exercise. Most reported low or moderate physical activity. The results indicate the importance of doctors' advice in promoting walking. Symptom perception and socio-demographic characteristics were weak predictors. Further work is required to examine other determinants of these low levels.

The 4 U’s Rule of Fibromyalgia: A Proposed Model for Fatigue in a Sample of Women with Fibromyalgia: A Qualitative Study

“…In accordance with previous work [ 27 ], and considering the theoretical framework and the team’s experience with reported symptoms among women with FM [ 29 ], the researchers set up three briefing sessions in which they expressed their motivation for the research. First, we wanted to gain insight into fatigue through the first-hand experience of women with fibromyalgia, which is, along with pain, the most disturbing symptom.…”

Goal Preferences, Affect, Activity Patterns and Health Outcomes in Women With Fibromyalgia

“…To achieve a better understanding of these behaviors and health outcomes in chronic pain, some authors have recommended the investigation of the role of motivational and affective factors from a self-regulation perspective (Vlaeyen and Morley, 2004, 2009; Van Damme and Kindermans, 2015). Research on this issue in fibromyalgia is scarce despite its relevance given the patients’ heterogeneity and high prevalence of both avoidance and persistence activity patterns (Van Koulil et al, 2008), the high disabling impact of the problem, the reported low rates of physical activity (McLoughlin et al, 2011; López-Roig et al, 2016), and the perceived difficulties in performing regular physical activity (Pastor et al, 2015; Peñacoba et al, 2017). Our study tested the Karsdorp and Vlaeyen (2011) affect-goals interaction hypothesis, but in a specific chronic pain sample consisting of women with fibromyalgia.…”

Dissociative features of fibromyalgia syndrome

“… 1 It is reported to be more common in women than men. 2 According to the 1990 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria, in addition to widespread pain in 4 quadrants of the body for at least 3 months, the pain sensitivity is determined by a finger pressure of 4 kilograms in at least 11 of 18 points. 3 Pain, fatigue, and non-relaxing sleep problems constitute the main FMS symptomatology, but it is accompanied by other symptoms, such as headaches, paresthesia, and an irritable colon or bladder.…”