The effect of health education on symptom severity in patients with fibromyalgia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a complex chronic disorder characterized by widespread pain as the primary symptom. To evaluate the effect of health education on the severity of various symptoms in patients with FM, seven databases were searched from inception to August 2024 to identify randomized controlled trials evaluating the effects of health education for FM. The primary outcome was overall symptom severity, and the secondary outcomes were pain, depression, anxiety, sleep quality, fatigue, physical function and self-efficacy. The Cochrane Risk-of-Bias tool for randomized trials and the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations were used to assess the quality of the included studies and the certainty of evidence, respectively. Treatment effects were estimated by calculating Hedges' g and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals. Meta-analysis included a total of 13 trials. The results revealed that health education significantly reduced overall symptom severity, depression and anxiety and increased sleep quality and physical function among patients with FM (all P values < 0.05). However, no significant effects were observed on pain, fatigue and self-efficacy. Health education may be a beneficial intervention for FM patients, particularly for mitigating symptom severity. Health-care providers should implement health education interventions to empower patients to effectively manage their symptoms.