Effects of Fibromyalgia Education on Smart Phone Addiction, Pain, and Quality of Life

Fibromyalgia is a musculoskeletal disease characterized by chronic pain, fatigue, and often accompanied by sleep disorders, depression, and anxiety. This study aims to identify smart phone addiction among fibromyalgia patients and explore potential improvements in their pain and smart phone addiction after receiving fibromyalgia education.

On the first day, all participants will be asked about their recent exercise duration and average screen time over the past week. They will then complete the FIQR to assess pain, quality of life and physical function in fibromyalgia, as well as the SAS-SV to measure smart phone use. Participants will receive their SAS-SV scores and be provided with diaries to record daily exercise and smart phone screen time for the next 20 days.

Patients in the intervention group will receive fibromyalgia education, which includes an overview of fibromyalgia, coping strategies (exercise, sleep management, stress reduction), and discussions on the impact of digital addictions like smart phone addiction on quality of life and stress levels. This education, presented as a face-to-face individual based Microsoft PowerPoint slide show, will be delivered by the researcher physician.

At the 20th-day follow-up, all participants will again complete the FIQR questionnaire and SAS-SV scale, and data from their diaries will be collected for further analysis.

This study aims to assess how fibromyalgia education provided by a physician affects pain levels, smart phone addiction (measured by FIQR and SAS-SV), exercise frequency, and daily screen time based on patient diaries. The findings will contribute to our understanding of how brief fibromyalgia education may impact the daily lives of patients and help develop more effective strategies to alleviate pain and enhance the quality of life for individuals with fibromyalgia.

Inclusion criteria

• Diagnosis of Fibromyalgia: Participants must have received a definitive diagnosis of fibromyalgia from a specialist. This diagnosis should have been made within the last 6 -months or they should be newly diagnosed with fibromyalgia.
• Ownership of a Smart Phone: Participants are required to own a smart phone as this is essential for aspects of the research related to smart phone addiction.
• Ability to Collaborate: Participants must be willing to actively participate in the research process, follow data collection procedures, and collaborate with the research team.

Exclusion criteria

• Cognitive Impairment or Severe Neurological/Psychiatric Illness: Individuals with significant cognitive impairment or severe neurological or psychiatric conditions that may affect their participation are excluded.
• Serious Health Conditions: Individuals with severe health conditions (e.g., cancer, chronic heart disease) that substantially affect their daily life and could confound the study outcomes are excluded.
• Other Addictions: Individuals with other types of addictions (e.g., alcohol, substance addiction) are not eligible for participation.
• Recent Serious Surgery or Trauma: Individuals who have undergone major surgery or experienced significant trauma recently are excluded.
• Unwillingness to Participate: Individuals who are unwilling to participate in the research process or who do not consent to be part of the study are excluded.
• Non-Compliance with Procedures: Individuals who are unable or unwilling to comply with data collection procedures as outlined by the research team are excluded.