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01-11-2021 | Affective Disorder | Observational Research

Pain is not the major determinant of quality of life in fibromyalgia: results from a retrospective “real world” data analysis of fibromyalgia patients

Authors: Martin Offenbaecher, Niko Kohls, Thomas Ewert, Claudia Sigl, Robin Hieblinger, Loren L. Toussaint, Fuschia Sirois, Jameson Hirsch, Miguel A. Vallejo, Sybille Kramer, Javier Rivera, Gerold Stucki, Jörg Schelling, Andreas Winkelmann

Published in: Rheumatology International | Issue 11/2021

Abstract

Objective

To identify correlates of quality of life (QoL) measured with the Quality of Life Scale (QOLS) in participants of a multidisciplinary day hospital treatment program for fibromyalgia (FM).

Methods

In this cross-sectional, observational study, “real world” data from 480 FM patients including socio-demographics, pain variables and questionnaires such as the SF-36, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Multiphasic Pain Inventory (MPI), SCL-90-R and others were categorized according to the components (body structure and function, activities and participation, personal factors, environmental factors) of the International Classification of Functioning (ICF). For every ICF component, a linear regression analysis with QOLS as the dependent variable was computed. A final comprehensive model was calculated on the basis of the results of the five independent analyses.

Results

The following variables could be identified as main correlates for QoL in FM, explaining 56% of the variance of the QOLS (subscale/questionnaire and standardized beta in parenthesis): depression (− 0.22), pain-related interference with everyday life (− 0.19), general activity (0.13), general health perception (0.11), punishing response from others (− 0.11), work status (− 0.10), vitality (− 0.11) and cognitive difficulties (− 0.12). Pain intensity or frequency was not an independent correlate.

Conclusions

More than 50% of QoL variance could be explained by distinct self-reported variables with neither pain intensity nor pain frequency playing a major role. Therefore, FM treatment should not primarily concentrate on pain but should address multiple factors within multidisciplinary therapy.

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Title: Pain is not the major determinant of quality of life in fibromyalgia: results from a retrospective “real world” data analysis of fibromyalgia patients
Authors: Martin Offenbaecher
Niko Kohls
Thomas Ewert
Claudia Sigl
Robin Hieblinger
Loren L. Toussaint
Fuschia Sirois
Jameson Hirsch
Miguel A. Vallejo
Sybille Kramer
Javier Rivera
Gerold Stucki
Jörg Schelling
Andreas Winkelmann
Publication date: 01-11-2021
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Keywords: Affective Disorder
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia
Affective Disorder
Published in: Rheumatology International / Issue 11/2021
Print ISSN: 0172-8172
Electronic ISSN: 1437-160X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00296-020-04702-5

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