Fibromyalgia
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Emotional, physical, and sexual abuse in fibromyalgia syndrome: A systematic review with meta-analysis
Winfried Häuser,
Maria Kosseva, Nurcan Üceyler, Petra Klose,
Claudia Sommer,
Corresponding Author
Winfried Häuser
Klinikum Saarbrücken, Saarbrücken, and Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
Dr. Häuser has received speaking fees (less than $10,000 each) from Eli Lilly, Janssen-Cilag, and Pfizer.
Klinikum Saarbrücken, Winterberg 1, D-66119 Saarbrücken, GermanySearch for more papers by this authorPetra Klose
University of Duisburg-Essen, Kliniken Essen-Mitte, Essen, Germany
Search for more papers by this authorClaudia Sommer
University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
Dr. Sommer has received speaking fees (less than $10,000 each) from Boehringer and Eli Lilly, and consultant fees (less than $10,000) from Pfizer.
Search for more papers by this authorWinfried Häuser,
Maria Kosseva, Nurcan Üceyler, Petra Klose,
Claudia Sommer,
Corresponding Author
Winfried Häuser
Klinikum Saarbrücken, Saarbrücken, and Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
Dr. Häuser has received speaking fees (less than $10,000 each) from Eli Lilly, Janssen-Cilag, and Pfizer.
Klinikum Saarbrücken, Winterberg 1, D-66119 Saarbrücken, GermanySearch for more papers by this authorPetra Klose
University of Duisburg-Essen, Kliniken Essen-Mitte, Essen, Germany
Search for more papers by this authorClaudia Sommer
University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
Dr. Sommer has received speaking fees (less than $10,000 each) from Boehringer and Eli Lilly, and consultant fees (less than $10,000) from Pfizer.
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
Objective
To systematically assess the potential association of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) with emotional, physical, and sexual abuse.
Methods
The databases EMBase, Google Scholar, Medline, and PsycINFO (through April 2010) and the reference sections of original studies were searched for eligible studies. Eligible studies were cohort or case–control studies that assessed at least one type of emotional, physical, or sexual abuse in childhood or adulthood in patients with FMS and in controls. Two authors independently extracted descriptive, quality, and outcome data from included studies. Methodologic quality was assessed by the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were pooled across studies by using the random-effects model. Heterogeneity was assessed by I2 statistics.
Results
The search identified 18 eligible case–control studies with 13,095 subjects. There were significant associations between FMS and self-reported physical abuse in childhood (OR 2.49 [95% CI 1.81–3.42], I2 = 0%; 9 studies) and adulthood (OR 3.07 [95% CI 1.01–9.39], I2 = 79%; 3 studies), and sexual abuse in childhood (OR 1.94 [95% CI 1.36–2.75], I2 = 20%; 10 studies) and adulthood (OR 2.24 [95% CI 1.07–4.70], I2 = 64%; 4 studies). Study quality was mostly poor. Low study quality was associated with higher effect sizes for sexual abuse in childhood, but not with other effect sizes.
Conclusion
The association of FMS with physical and sexual abuse could be confirmed, but is confounded by study quality.
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