Fibromyalgia status and depressive symptoms are linked to body mass index and physical performance in mid to late life

ABSTRACT

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic pain condition that is frequently accompanied by comorbid conditions, including depression. Depression is associated with reduced physical functioning and health, disproportionately affecting middle-aged and older adults with FM. This study examined associations between FM status and depressive symptoms with body mass index (BMI) and several physical performance indicators among middle-aged and older adults. Participants included 239 community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults with or without FM. Depressive symptoms were measured using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), BMI was objectively assessed, and physical performance was measured using the Fullerton Advanced Balance scale, 6-minute walk test, 30-second chair stand, and 8-foot up and go test. A path model using structural equation modeling yielded good fit and revealed that, compared to pain-free adult controls, participants with FM reported more depressive symptoms, which were in turn associated with reduced physical performance across all indicators except BMI, after adjusting for age and symptom severity. Findings suggest that individuals with FM demonstrate disproportionately higher depressive symptoms compared to non-FM controls, which may diminish physical performance after accounting for age and symptom severity. This study supports FM status and depressive symptoms as important considerations when evaluating the health and disability risk of aging adults.

KEYWORDS:

• Fibromyalgia
• chronic pain
• depressive symptoms
• body mass index
• physical performance

Funding

This study was funded by intramural grants awarded by California State University, Fullerton.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Author contribution

Study concept and design: Serpas. Data collection: Zettel-Watson & Cherry. Analysis and interpretation of data: Serpas, Zettel-Watson, & Cherry. Drafting and critical revision of the manuscript: Serpas, Zettel-Watson, & Cherry. All authors provided approval of the version to be published.

Author academic positions

Dylan G. Serpas, Clinical Psychology Master’s student.

Laura Zettel-Watson, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Psychology; Coordinator, Aging Studies Academic Program.

Barbara J. Cherry, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Department of Psychology; Associate Coordinator, Aging Studies Academic Progam.

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.