title: Factors promoting sustainable work in women with fibromyalgia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine and describe the factors promoting sustainable work in women with fibromyalgia (FM).
  
  
  METHODS
  A qualitative interview study. Twenty-seven gainfully employed women with FM participated in five focus group interviews. Their median age was 52 years, ranging from 33 to 62. The interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed by qualitative latent content analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four categories were identified describing factors promoting sustainable work: the meaning of work and individual strategies were individual promoters while a favourable work environment and social support outside work were environmental promoters. The meaning of work included individual meaning and social meaning. The individual strategies included handling symptoms, the work day and long-term work life. A favourable work environment included the physical and psychosocial work environment. Social support outside work included societal and private social supports.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Promoting factors for work were identified, involving individual and environmental factors. These working women with FM had developed advanced well-functioning strategies to enhance their work ability. The development of such strategies should be supported by health-care professionals as well as employers to promote sustainable work in women with FM.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Work disability is a common consequence of fibromyalgia (FM). Working women with FM appear to have developed advanced well-functioning individual strategies to enhance their work ability. The development of individual strategies should be supported by health-care professionals as well as employers to promote sustainable work and health in women with FM.
authors: Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. annie.palstam@gu.se
authors: Annie
authors: A
authors: Palstam
authors: Gunvor
authors: G
authors: Gard
authors: Kaisa
authors: K
authors: Mannerkorpi
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D017144:Focus Groups; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011788:Quality of Life; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden; D014505:Urban Population; D014931:Women, Working / Q000523:psychology*; D017132:Workplace / Q000523:psychology*