Differences in Fibromyalgia Characteristics by Mode of Commute and Age in Women: The Al-Ándalus Project
Manuel Herrador-Colmenero1, Milkana Borges-Cosic2,3, Víctor Segura-Jiménez4,5,6,7
1La Inmaculada Teacher Training Centre, Sport and Health University Research Institute (IMUDS), University of Granada, 18012 Granada, Spain.
Objectives:
This study aimed to test whether fibromyalgia-related characteristics differ by mode of commute and by age in women with fibromyalgia.
Methods:
A total of 450 women with fibromyalgia (aged 52.0 ± 8.0 years old) were included. Data on their body composition, socioeconomic factors, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), depressive symptoms, sleep quality, pain-related outcomes, fatigue, and mode of commute, as well as the impact of fibromyalgia on their lives, were obtained. We performed linear regression analyses to test the differences in fibromyalgia-related characteristics between the participants engaged in active/passive modes of commuting. To analyze in depth the differences, a one-way analysis of covariance with Bonferroni's correction for multiple comparisons was conducted.
Results:
In the younger group, active commuters presented differences in fibromyalgia-related characteristics (all, p < 0.01): they were less impacted by having fibromyalgia, had lower levels of fatigue, and had a higher HRQoL than passive commuters. We observed no differences in symptoms between active and passive commuters in the older group (all, p > 0.05).
Conclusions:
The possible positive effect of active commuting on fibromyalgia-related characteristics might be reduced by age and by a decrease in total physical activity. Physical activity programs for women with fibromyalgia focused on improving fibromyalgia-related characteristics should consider active commuting behaviors to increase their effectiveness.
