title: Prevalence of fibromyalgia in the Israeli population: a population-based study to estimate the prevalence of fibromyalgia in the Israeli population using the London Fibromyalgia Epidemiology Study Screening Questionnaire (LFESSQ).
abstract: Fibromyalgia represents the tip of the iceberg of chronic pain in the general population. We have attempted to estimate the prevalence of fibromyalgia in the Israeli population, using the London Fibromyalgia Epidemiology Study Screening Questionnaire (LFESSQ), an instrument previously utilised in several European countries.
  
  
  METHODS
  The LFESSQ-4 screens for widespread pain, and the LFESSQ-6 for widespread pain and chronic fatigue. The LFESSQ was administered via telephone to a sample of 1019 individuals. To estimate the positive predictive value (PPV) of LFESSQ-4 and LFESSQ-6, this questionnaire was submitted to a sample of rheumatology outpatients (n=76), who were examined to confirm or exclude fibromyalgia according to the 1990 criteria. The prevalence of fibromyalgia in the general population was estimated by applying the PPV to community subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the community survey, 5.1% and 3.9% of individuals screened positive for the LFESSQ-4 and LFESSQ-6, respectively. The point prevalence of FMS in the Israeli general population was 2.6% (95%CI 1.7-3.4) when using LFESSQ-4 and 2.0% (95%CI 1.3-2.7) when using the LFESSQ-6 criteria.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of the fibromyalgia syndrome in the Israeli population is considerable and constitutes a significant health care issue. The prevalence is similar to that observed in other western populations. Based on this tool, over 25% of fibromyalgia cases appear to be among males, a proportion higher than generally appreciated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel. ajacob@post.tau.ac.il
authors.forename: Jacob N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Ablin
authors.forename: Anat
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oren
authors.forename: Sarit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Aloush
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Buskila
authors.forename: Ori
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Elkayam
authors.forename: Yonathan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wollman
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005221:Fatigue / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult