Risk factors for fibromyalgia: the role of violence against women

Abstract

The objectives of the study were to analyse the association between fibromyalgia (FM) and violence against women and to explore the association between FM and sociodemographic factors, social support and psychological distress. A case-control study was conducted in a Spanish hospital. Cases were women diagnosed with FM, with no signs of any other type of inflammatory rheumatic disorder, who were seen at the Rheumatology Department of the hospital. Controls were women not diagnosed with FM who were seen at the Ear, Nose and Throat Department of the same hospital. A self-administered anonymous questionnaire was used to gather data on sociodemographic characteristics, violence, social support and psychological distress. Uni-, bi- and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted; 287 cases and 287 controls were recruited. The multivariate analysis showed that the probability of presenting FM increased with age (odds ratios (OR) = 1.06; CI95% = 1.03-1.09); that employed women and housewives were more likely to have the syndrome than unemployed women or students (OR = 4.97; CI95% = 1.45-17.02, and OR = 3.47; CI95% = 0.98-12.22, respectively); that the lower the educational level, the higher the probability of having FM; and that psychological distress was positively associated with the syndrome (OR = 4.62; CI95% = 2.68-7.97). Although abuse was more prevalent in cases than in controls, the differences were not statistically significant. However, frequency of abuse was positively and significantly correlated with FM. Although the aetiology of FM is still uncertain, it seems that certain psychosocial factors may be associated with the syndrome. Therefore, an interdisciplinary approach to the treatment of patients affected with this syndrome should be considered.

Physical Health Status of Female Veterans

“…Some have theorized that stress itself results from the interaction between individuals and their environments, and a distress reaction results from either an abnormal and maladaptive response to stressful and potentially traumatic circumstances or when a person perceives (appraises) personal resources to be insufficient to tolerate the stressor (32). For instance, childhood victimization (63), high frequency of abuse (64), and history of sexual abuse-rape (62,65) have been reported in women with poor physical and somatic conditions (11,14,66).…”

Childhood stressors in the development of fatigue syndromes: a review of the past 20 years of research

“…Among these, six were case-control studies. Three studies reported a higher incidence of childhood sexual (range 7-37% v. 6-22%) and physical abuse (range 8-34% v. 4-12%) in FM patients than in controls (Boisset-Pioro et al 1995;Ruiz-Perez et al 2009;Smith et al 2010). Anderberg et al (2000) also demonstrated that FM patients had a higher prevalence of childhood sexual (7.5% v. 5%) and physical or psychological abuse (27.5% v. 13%) than patients without a history of abuse.…”

Estudio piloto: una aproximación cualitativa a la fibromialgia desde la perspectiva de género

“…La mayoría de estos estudios han hallado que una historia de vida traumática es una variable importante de análisis en el estudio de la FM, como por ejemplo ser víctima de violencia de género (Ubago Linares et al, 2005;Ruiz Pérez et al, 2008;Cantera Espinosa, 2004;Blanco et al, 2004). Mientras que aún son pocos los trabajos que estudian directamente los roles de género, el conflicto de roles, el estrés y la identidad social de género como antecedentes relacionados con la FM (Aparicio, 2002;González de Chávez, 2002;Tosal Herrero, 2007;Valls Llobet, 2002, 2006y 2007.…”