Pain-Related Worrying and Goal Preferences Determine Walking Persistence in Women with Fibromyalgia

María Ángeles Pastor-Mira, Sofía López-Roig, Eva Toribio, Fermín Martínez-Zaragoza, Ainara Nardi-Rodríguez and Cecilia Peñacoba
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María Ángeles Pastor-Mira: Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health, University Miguel Hernández, 03540 San Juan de Alicante, Spain
Sofía López-Roig: Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health, University Miguel Hernández, 03540 San Juan de Alicante, Spain
Eva Toribio: Fibromyalgia Unit, Hospital of San Vicente del Raspeig, 03690 Alicante, Spain
Fermín Martínez-Zaragoza: Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health, University Miguel Hernández, 03540 San Juan de Alicante, Spain
Ainara Nardi-Rodríguez: Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health, University Miguel Hernández, 03540 San Juan de Alicante, Spain
Cecilia Peñacoba: Department of Psychology, Rey Juan Carlos University, 28922 Madrid, Spain

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 3, 1-13

Abstract: Physical activity and exercise are relevant behaviors for fibromyalgia health outcomes; however, patients have difficulties undertaking and maintaining an active lifestyle. With a cross-sectional design, this study explored the role of pain-related worrying and goal preferences in the walking persistence of women with fibromyalgia. The sample included 111 women who attended a tertiary health setting. We adapted the Six-Minute Walk Test where participants decided either to stop or continue walking in five voluntary 6 min bouts. Women who were categorized higher in pain-related worrying reported higher preference for pain avoidance goals ( t = −2.44, p = 0.02) and performed worse in the walking task (LongRank = 4.21; p = 0.04). Pain avoidance goal preference increased the likelihood of stopping after the first ( OR = 1.443), second ( OR = 1.493), and third ( OR = 1.540) 6 min walking bout, and the risk of ending the walking activity during the 30 min task ( HR = 1.02, [1.0–1.03]). Influence of pain-related worrying on total walking distance was mediated by goal preferences ( ab = −3.25). In interventions targeting adherence in physical activity and exercise, special attention is needed for women who are particularly worried about pain to help decrease their preference for short-term pain avoidance goals relative to long-term goals such as being active through walking.

Keywords: fibromyalgia; women; pain catastrophizing; pain-related worrying; goal preferences; walking; physical activity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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