Syrian female war refugees: preliminary fibromyalgia and insomnia screening and treatment trends

Abstract

Background

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic disorder characterised by chronic widespread pain, fatigue and sleep disturbances with higher prevalence in females. Psychological factors contribute largely to FM. Although women war refugees represent a fragile population that is prone to psychological distress, FM was not studied in this population.

Objective

The current study had three objectives: (1) to screen FM and insomnia prevalence and severity, (2) to study the correlation between FM severity and insomnia and (3) to study FM treatment trends and their concordance with the guidelines among female Syrian refugees residing in Jordan.

Methods

A cross-sectional study design was performed. Data from 384 Syrian female were analysed from four medical centres in Jordan. The Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) was used to study FM prevalence. Structured questions were designed to explore FM pharmacotherapeutic trend, and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) was used to screen insomnia.

Results

The prevalence of severe FM was about (30%), with a significant correlation with insomnia. Acetaminophen was used for FM relief in 60% of the study sample.

Conclusions

Fibromyalgia prevalence is high among female refugees and is associated with insomnia. The treatment is suboptimal. The early screening and raising awareness of FM diagnosis and treatments are highly recommended.

Key Points

• Fibromyalgia is an overlooked disorder especially among female war refugees

• The prevalence of severe fibromyalgia was about (30%), with a significant correlation with insomnia

• Fibromyalgia among the Syrian female refugees is mistreated perhaps due to lack of the proper diagnosis

Keywords:

• Women
• refugees
• fibromyalgia
• insomnia

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Caritas workers for their support.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.