Table 1 Baseline characteristics (n = 53)

Age, years

64.1^a ± 9.0^b

57.4 ± 9.1

0.014

Marital status

0.021

 Married/with partner

11 (61%)

24 (69%)

 Divorced/separated

3 (17%)

4 (11%)

 Widow

3 (17%)

0

 Single

0

7 (20%)

 No Answer

1 (6%)

0

Level of education

0.06

 No education

1 (6%)

0

 Primary education

12 (66%)

15 (43%)

 Secondary education

4 (22%)

14 (40%)

 Higher education

0

6 (17%)

 No Answer

1 (6%)

0

Work situation

0.022

 Retired

9 (50%)

5 (14%)

 Permanent disability

0

1 (3%)

 Home carer (unpaid)

2 (11%)

10 (28%)

 Unemployed

3 (17%)

2 (6%)

 Working

4 (22%)

17 (49%)

History of mistreatment

5 (28%)

4 (11%)

0.13

History of abuse

0

1 (3%)

1.0

History of traumatic accidents

2 (11%)

8 (23%)

0.47

History of abortions

0

4 (11%)

0.29

History of chronic dysmenorrhea

4 (22%)

12 (34%)

0.53

History of chronic headaches in infancy/adolescence

4 (22%)

8 (23%)

1.0

History of significant pain during infancy

3 (17%)

22 (63%)

0.003

Polymyalgia: years since onset of symptoms

25.5 ± 19.0

30.4 ± 17.1

0.36

FM: years since diagnosis

10.13 ± 8.7

8.4 ± 8.5

0.51

Age at onset of symptoms, years

25.5 ± 19.0

30.4 ± 17.1

0.36

Primary carer

15 (83%)

27 (77%)

0.24

History of chronic pain in household/ family members

18 (100%)

32 (91%)

0.54

History of broken family

0

2 (6%)

1.0

History of unexpected death in household/ family members

5 (28%)

14 (40%)

0.76

WPI

11.76 ± 3.0

11.74 ± 3.7

0.98

SS

8.0 ± 1.8

9.1 ± 1.5

0.028

i-BPI-sf

25.17 ± 6.9

24.5 ± 7.1

0.76

a-BPI-sf

47.4 ± 10.9

44.9 ± 16.0

0.49

FIQ

59.5 ± 19.1

67.6 ± 14.4

0.09

A-HAD

12.6 ± 3.7

11.9 ± 3.3

0.53

D-HAD

10.4 ± 4.4

9.6 ± 4.0

0.47

T-HAD

23.1 ± 6.7

21.5 ± 6.5

0.43

HAQ

1.2 ± 0.8

1.3 ± 0.6

0.50

PCS-SP

28.4 ± 9.9

26.4 ± 11.6

0.52