Prevalence of fibromyalgia in medical students and its association with lifestyle factors – a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES: Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic widespread pain syndrome, known to be associated with several other symptoms. Chronic stress is suspected to be a contributing factor in the pathogenesis of FM. It is known that medical students are under a constant state of stress originating from personal and social expectations. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of FM in this population and identify lifestyle parameters influencing FM severity. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An online survey of first- and final-year medical students was conducted using the ACR modified 2016 criteria and FANTASTIC checklist. The survey acquired demographic information such as age, gender, year, and division of studies. A subgroup analysis based on gender, year of studies, and division of studies was performed. RESULTS: 439 medical students (71% females) completed the survey. The overall prevalence of FM in our cohort was 10.48%. The ratio of females to males was 3 : 1. A significant negative correlation between better quality of lifestyle and worse FM severity was observed in all subgroups. The “insight”, “sleep and stress”, “behavior” and “career” domains of lifestyle were found to have a significant negative correlation with FM severity on univariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of FM in medical students seems to be considerably higher than in the general population. Chronic stress levels, sleep problems, social support, and behavior seem to be the major factors influencing FM severity in this population. Our findings suggest that medical students must be considered a “high-risk” group for FM, and hence must be identified, educated, and managed accordingly. It is, therefore, important for medical universities to implement programs educating students about FM, the importance of a healthy lifestyle, and stress coping strategies, while also making systemic changes to curb stressors in medical training.