Background: There are no data available from representative samples of the general German population on predictors of widespread pain (WP) and fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS).
Methods: A cross-sectional survey of a representative sample of the German general population with persons over 14 years old was conducted based on face-to-face contact using standardised questionnaires. The number of pain sites and the presence of WP and FMS were assessed by the regional pain scale (RPS), somatic symptom intensity was measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-15), depressed mood by PHQ 9 and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) by the Short Form Health Survey (SF-12).
Results: Out of 4064 persons contacted, 2524 (62.1%) completed the study. The prevalence of CWP was 8.6% and of FMS 3.8%. The sex ratio for WP and FMS was 1:1. The variance of the number of pain sites was explained by older age, low social class index, high somatic symptom intensity, low depressed mood in 52.4% (p<0.001). Older age (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.71; 2.36; <0.001), low social class index (OR 0.64; 95% CI 0.46; 0.91; p=0.01) and potential somatoform syndrome (OR 3.0; 95% CI 1.27; 7.15; p<0.001) predicted WP with a probability 94.4%. Older age (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.19; 1.62, p <0.001), low social class index (OR 0.61, 95% CI .40, 0.93; p=0.02) and potential somatoform syndrome (OR 19.42; 95% CI 10.31; 36.61; p<0.001) predicted FMS with a probability 97.7%.
Conclusion: WP and FMS are components of a complex of high somatic symptom intensity, low social class index and older age.