title: [Fibromyalgia prevalence in Tunisia].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to estimate fibromyalgia (FM) prevalence in Tunisia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data on a cross-section of 1000 individuals aged 15 years or older living in Sfax were collected by interviewers using the London Fibromyalgia Epidemiology Study Screening Questionnaire (LFES- SQ). The sampling was realized by empirical poll and respecting quota according to delegation, rural or urban environment, sex and age according to the demographic national data. The positive screened subjects were invited to be examined to confirm or exclude the FM by applying the 1999 ACR criteria. The questionnaire was administered to a second group of 252 volunteers, all were afterward examined. This allowed to study specificity and sensibility of the questionnaire and allowed to calculate the FM prevalence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  159 subjects were screened positive, only 141 were examined. The specialized exam allowed confirming the diagnosis of FM in 67 subjects. FM prevalence is different according to sex, age, study level and socio-economic level. Two hundred and fifty two volunteers answered the questionnaire then all examined. The questionnaire specificity was 90.8% and the sensibility 79.4%. FM prevalence in Tunisia, calculated by Bayes theorem, is estimated between 8.27% and 12.3%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FM prevalence in Tunisia is estimated at least at 8.27%.
authors.affiliation: Service de médecine physique et de réadaptation fonctionnelle CHU Habib Bourguiba, 3029 Sfax Tunisie.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guermazi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghroubi
authors.forename: Mona
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sellami
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Elleuch
authors.forename: Habib
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Feki
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: André
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schmitt
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Taieb
authors.forename: Jamel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Damak
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baklouti
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Elleuch
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D014416:Tunisia / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult