Background: People with chronic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia may experience occupational limitations and imbalances in their basic and instrumental occupations of daily living, leisure, work, and social participation.
Objective: To describe occupational balance in persons with fibromyalgia and to analyze whether it is associated with self-reported disability and self-efficacy to manage symptoms.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out. Individuals with fibromyalgia were invited to participate. Occupational balance was assessed with the Occupational Balance Questionnaire; self-reported disability was assessed with the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule, WHODAS 2.0-12; and self-efficacy was evaluated with the 8-item version of the Arthritis Self-Efficacy Scale. Data were analyzed using multiple linear regression with a forward stepwise procedure.
Results: One hundred women with fibromyalgia were included. Occupational balance was 26.96 ± 12.09; however, scores differed between the mild disability group and the moderate disability group (33.11 ± 9.99 vs. 20.29 ± 10.61, p < 0.001). Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that self-reported disability and self-reported pain management explained 58.1% of the variance in occupational balance.
Conclusion: Women with fibromyalgia showed low occupational balance. Self-reported disability and self-reported pain management were associated with occupational balance.
Significance: Occupational therapy practitioners can design intervention programs focussing on occupational balance and self-efficacy to manage symptoms.
Keywords: Disability; fibromyalgia; occupation; occupational balance; women.