Description of the Socio-demographic Characteristics of the
Study Sample
The characteristics of participants are summarized in Table 1. Of
the 125 participants in the study, 114 were women and 11 were men,
aged between 26 and 72 years with a mean age of 47. Most were
urban dwellers, well educated (mainly university graduates),
predominantly unemployed due to their MCS disability, and married
or in a stable partnership. Concomitant diseases included
fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and other chronic diseases such as
hypothyroidism, irritable bowel syndrome, and Sjögren’s syndrome
among the most prevalent.