Orot Israel College of Education, Rehovot, Israel.
Ben Gurion University & Internal Medicine H, Soroka Medical Center, Beer-Sheeba, Israel.
Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2019 Jan-Feb;37 Suppl 116(1):21-26. Epub 2019 Jan 9.
Fibromyalgia syndrome (FM), characterised by widespread pain and fatigue, has frequently been associated with stress in various models, including workplace related stress. In the current study we have evaluated the prevalence of FM symptoms among Israeli school teachers and have attempted to correlate such symptoms with work-related stress.
Individuals, all currently employed as school teachers in Israel, were recruited to the study. Participants were asked to answer a questionnaire evaluating symptoms of FM, based on the current diagnostic criteria, which include the widespread pain index (WPI) and the symptom severity scale (SSS). Participants were further questioned regarding stressful experiences during their work and about post-traumatic symptoms as well as regarding work performance and motivation.
321 participants were recruited (79.4% female, 20.6 male). 30 individuals (9.3%) of the sample fulfilled current criteria for a diagnosis of FM, with a rate of 11.4% among females and 1.5% among males. While specific symptoms such as fatigue and irritable bowel symptoms were negatively correlated with work performance, no significant difference was found between teachers with or without fibromyalgia regarding work attendance and performance. FM symptoms were strongly correlated with work-related stress and were strongly correlated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) related symptoms. Motivation to work was significantly lower among teachers fulfilling FM criteria, but other performance-related parameters did not differ between teachers fulfilling or not fulfilling FM criteria.
Fibromyalgia symptoms are highly prevalent among Israeli school teachers, and may be related to stress encountered in the classroom. These results are relevant both for physicians treating individuals involved in educational careers as well as for educators and decision-makers involved in planning and managing educational strategies.
纤维肌痛综合征（FM）以广泛疼痛和疲劳为特征，在各种模型中经常与压力相关，包括与工作相关的压力。在当前的研究中，我们评估了以色列学校教师中 FM 症状的患病率，并试图将这些症状与与工作相关的压力相关联。
我们招募了所有目前在以色列担任学校教师的个体参与研究。要求参与者根据当前的诊断标准回答评估 FM 症状的问卷，其中包括广泛疼痛指数（WPI）和症状严重程度量表（SSS）。进一步询问参与者在工作期间的压力经历以及创伤后症状，以及工作表现和动力。
招募了 321 名参与者（79.4%为女性，20.6%为男性）。样本中有 30 名（9.3%）个体符合当前 FM 诊断标准，女性中的患病率为 11.4%，男性中的患病率为 1.5%。虽然特定症状（如疲劳和肠易激症状）与工作表现呈负相关，但患有或不患有纤维肌痛的教师之间在工作出勤和表现方面没有发现显著差异。FM 症状与工作相关压力密切相关，与创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）相关症状密切相关。符合 FM 标准的教师的工作动力明显较低，但符合或不符合 FM 标准的教师之间的其他绩效相关参数没有差异。
纤维肌痛症状在以色列学校教师中高度普遍，可能与课堂上遇到的压力有关。这些结果对于治疗从事教育职业的个体的医生以及参与规划和管理教育策略的教育工作者和决策者都具有重要意义。
