Why do some people with severe chronic pain adhere to walking prescriptions whilst others won't? A cross-sectional study exploring clinical and psychosocial predictors in women with fibromyalgia.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to determine if a clinical and psychosocial profile could predict adherence to walking in women with fibromyalgia and severe pain.
Results Summary
Patients who walked regularly despite pain showed significantly lower FM impact, anxiety, depression, catastrophizing, cognitive fusion, and negative affect. FM impact and negative affect were the unique predictors of walking adherence.
Population
172 women with fibromyalgia and severe pain (>7 on an 11-point scale).
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
walking | decrease | impact of FM | patients with FM with severe pain levels who walked despite pain | - | significantly reported less | #1 |
walking | decrease | anxiety | patients with FM with severe pain levels who walked despite pain | - | significantly reported less | #2 |
walking | decrease | depression | patients with FM with severe pain levels who walked despite pain | - | significantly reported less | #3 |
walking | decrease | catastrophizing | patients with FM with severe pain levels who walked despite pain | - | significantly reported less | #4 |
walking | decrease | cognitive fusion | patients with FM with severe pain levels who walked despite pain | - | significantly reported less | #5 |
walking | decrease | negative affect | patients with FM with severe pain levels who walked despite pain | - | significantly reported less | #6 |
walking | decrease | openness to experience | patients with FM with severe pain levels who walked despite pain | - | significantly reported less | #7 |
walking | decrease | agreeableness | patients with FM with severe pain levels who walked despite pain | - | significantly reported less | #8 |
walking | decrease | conscientiousness | patients with FM with severe pain levels who walked despite pain | - | significantly reported less | #9 |
personalized motivational interventions | increase | adherence to exercise | at-risk subgroup of patients with FM | - | should be addressed | #10 |
Fibromyalgia (FM) is a highly disabling condition characterized by widespread chronic pain. Physical exercise, such as walking, has been recommended as the treatment of choice for FM. However, adherence to physical exercise tends to be poor. Pain is one of the main inhibitors to adhere to walking in FM patients. The main objective of this study has been to determine whether there is a clinical and psychosocial profile to help predict individual differences in adherence to walking in a sample of patients with FM with severe pain levels. In this cross-sectional study, the sample was composed of 172 women with FM and severe pain levels (> 7 in an 11-point numerical scale). Women were classified into two groups: (1) those who walked regularly and (2) patients who rarely or never walked. Group differences regarding clinical outcomes (e.g., FM impact, anxiety, depression, cognitive fusion, catastrophizing, affect, and personality), sociodemographic variables, and medical history were analyzed. Patients who walked despite pain significantly reported less impact of FM, anxiety, depression, catastrophizing, cognitive fusion, negative affect, openness to experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. The unique predictors of group membership (walking versus no walking) in a binary regression were FM impact and negative affect. The results show that adherence to exercise might be influenced and predicted by the clinical profile of the patient, which suggests that personalized motivational interventions should be addressed to this at-risk subgroup.