Factors Associated With Physical Function in Adults With Fibromyalgia

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Psychology
• Nursing

Background:

• Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic pain condition affecting 3-6% of the global population.
• Psychological resilience, the ability to adapt positively to adversity, may mitigate FM severity and improve function.
• Understanding resilience in FM is crucial for developing effective nursing interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate factors associated with psychological resilience and physical function in adults diagnosed with fibromyalgia.
• To explore the relationships between socio-demographic variables, comorbidities, pain intensity, depression, resilience, and physical function in FM.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 200 participants from the Autoimmune Registry Inc.
• Data collected included socio-demographics, resilience, physical function, comorbidities, pain intensity, and depression.
• Structural equation modeling analyzed the direct and indirect relationships between these variables and physical function.

Main Results:

• The model explained significant variance in resilience (14.9%), pain intensity (25.3%), depression (18.6%), and physical function (38.2%).
• Age and comorbidities were indirectly linked to physical function via resilience.
• Age, comorbidities, resilience, and pain intensity directly impacted physical function; depression directly influenced resilience but not physical function.

Conclusions:

• Psychological resilience is a direct determinant of physical function in adults with fibromyalgia.
• Nurses play a key role in assessing and fostering resilience to improve physical function and overall quality of life for FM patients.
• Interventions aimed at strengthening resilience can empower individuals with FM to better manage symptoms and enhance daily functioning.