Relationships among Pain, Occupational Balance and Quality of Life in Women with Fibromyalgia Syndrome

Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate the relationships among pain, occupational balance and quality of life in women with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). Material and methods: The study included 52 women with FMS with pain severity of 5 or more according to the Visual Analog Scale. Sociodemographic data were recoded; Occupational Balance Questionnaire and Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) were used. Results: According to the results, correlations were found between pain intensity and sub-parameters of quality of life (energy, pain, emotional reactions and physical mobility) (r=.428 p=.002; r=.339 p=.014; r=.451 p=.001; r=.277 p=.046 and r=.399 p=.003, respectively). In addition, significant relationships were detected between occupational balance and NHP-energy; emotional reaction; and total score (r=.365 p=.008; r=.320 p=.021, r=0.301 p=.030, respectively). Discussion: In this syndrome, where the most prominent symptom is pain, it has been particularly observed that the intensity of pain adversely affects an individual's quality of life. Quality of life, which is an indicator of an individual's health and well-being, has also been found to be associated with occupational balance. In conditions such as fibromyalgia, which negatively impact various aspects of life, it would be beneficial to utilize indicators such as occupational balance and quality of life during intervention planning with a holistic approach.