Abstract

Fibromyalgia Syndrome and its allied clinical features are associated with low socioeconomic status

Author(s): Abdulsatar J Mathkhor, Ali H Atwan

Background: Fibromyalgia (FMS) syndrome may be linked to low living standards. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of widespread pain, FMS, and its associated clinical features in low socioeconomic class populations.

Methods: Four hundred (114 male and 286 female) individuals with musculoskeletal pain were divided into two groups: group A consisted of 226 (50 male and 176 female) individuals with low socioeconomic status, and group B consisted of 174 (64 male and 110 female) individuals with high socioeconomic status. A diagnosis of FMS was confirmed according to the two-stage classification process proposed by the 1990 ACR classification criteria for FMS. Stage 1 was composed of the participants answering the diffuse widespread pain questionnaire. Stage 2 evaluated all participants complaining of diffuse pain for assessing the 18 tender points compared to the four control non-tender points through digital palpation. All participants were also asked about the following FMS-associated clinical features.

Results: There were 100(44.24%) individuals with widespread pain and 12(5.3%) individuals who fulfilled the 1990 ACR classification criteria of FMS in group A, and there were 32 (18.4 %) individuals with widespread pain and 3(1.72%) individuals fulfilled the 1990 ACR classification criteria of FMS in group B. Women outnumber men in a ratio of 3:1 and 2:1 in group A and group B, respectively. All FMS-associated clinical features were more prevalent in group A than in group B.

Conclusion: Fibromyalgia and its associated clinical features are prevalent in the low socioeconomic status population.