[Self-reported fibromyalgia among women aged 36-55 years]

In a mailed questionnaire to a sample of Norwegian women 36-55 years of age, 4.4% reported having fibromyalgia. Women with fibromyalgia often had multiple health problems. Compared with other women, more of them reported nervousness, migraine and tiredness. They had many consultations with medical practitioners, but were also frequent users of alternative medicine. Recovery from fibromyalgia was seldom reported. Women with fibromyalgia had especially poor self-rated health status. Many were receiving a disability pension, and the proportion of exists from the labour market was clearly higher among women with fibromyalgia than among women with other chronic diseases. As in the case of many other long-lasting diseases the prevalence of fibromyalgia was somewhat higher in lower than in higher socio-economic groups.