The characteristics of fatigue in an older primary care sample

Wijeratne, Chanaka; Hickie, Ian B.; Brodaty, Henry

doi:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2006.09.011

Cited by 52 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Previous studies that found a uni-dimensional factor structure were limited to cancer patients (15, 28) and translated versions of the scale (16, 19–22, 24, 25). Older adults and patients with cancer may have fundamental differences in their experience and ratings of fatigue (4, 14), leading to variations in factor structure. Differences in factor structure for translated versions could be due to differences in language and styles of reporting symptoms across cultures.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Psychometric Properties of the Brief Fatigue Inventory in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Shuman-Paretsky

Belser-Ehrlich

Holtzer

2014

Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

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Objective To investigate the psychometric properties of the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI) in community-dwelling older adults. Design Cross-sectional validation study. Setting Community-based longitudinal cohort aging study in Westchester County, New York. Participants Subjects (N=302) were non-demented older adults (mean age 76.44 years, 54% female). Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures BFI total, severity, and interference summation scores. Results A Principle Component Analysis (PCA) yielded two factors: fatigue severity and interference, explaining 65.94% of the variance. Both factors had good reliability, with Cronbach’s α values of 0.867 for fatigue interference and 0.818 for fatigue severity. Higher fatigue scores were associated with older age and worse physical and cognitive functions. Conclusions Fatigue is a common and debilitating symptom in the aging population. The current study provides novel findings in validating and establishing a bi-dimensional factor structure for the BFI in older adults. Severity and interference were differentially related to important health outcomes; therefore, utilizing these subscales in addition to the total BFI scaled score is recommended with older adults. Because of its relatively short administration time and established psychometric properties, the BFI can be successfully incorporated into longitudinal studies and clinical trials.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is noteworthy, however, that the impact of fatigue on important psychosocial outcomes such as lifestyle, social relationships, and mood have not been reported (13, 14). …”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychometric Properties of the Brief Fatigue Inventory in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Shuman-Paretsky

Belser-Ehrlich

Holtzer

2014

Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

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“…[22][23][24][25][26][27][28] In our cohort study, all 4 subgroups had a similar pattern of psychological symptom scores, with more patients reporting symptoms of distress and somatization and fewer scoring above the threshold for depression or anxiety. Patients with a chronic course of fatigue had mean 4DSQ scores that were comparable to those of primary care patients seeking care for psychosocial problems, although our population had somewhat lower anxiety scores.…”

Section: Psychological Symptomsmentioning

confidence: 94%

Prognosis of Fatigue and Functioning in Primary Care: A 1-Year Follow-up Study

Nijrolder¹,

Windt²,

Horst³

2008

The Annals of Family Medicine

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PURPOSE Although fatigue is a common presenting symptom in primary care and its course and outcomes often remain unclear, cohort studies among patients seeking care for fatigue are scarce. We therefore aimed to investigate patterns in the course of fatigue and relevant secondary outcomes in a large cohort of patients who sought care for a main symptom of fatigue. METHODSWe performed an observational cohort study in 147 primary care practices. Patients consulting their general practitioner for a new episode of fatigue were sent questionnaires at 1, 4, 8, and 12 months after baseline. We collected measures of fatigue, perceived health and functioning, absenteeism, psychological symptoms, and sleep using the Checklist Individual Strength, the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey, the Four-Dimensional Symptoms Questionnaire, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Questionnaire Inventory. Patients were classifi ed into 4 subgroups based on fatigue severity scores over time. We assessed patterns in the course of all outcomes in these subgroups and in the total population, and tested changes over time and differences between subgroups. RESULTS A total of 642 patients were enrolled in the study. Response rates during follow-up ranged between 82% and 88%. For 75% of the patients, 4 distinct groups could be discerned: 26% of patients had continuously high scores for fatigue, 17% had a fast recovery, 25% had a slow recovery, and 32% initially improved but then had a recurrence of fatigue. Patterns for the secondary outcomes of symptoms and functioning were all similar to the pattern for fatigue within each of the subgroups. CONCLUSIONSThe fi ndings of this study suggest a longitudinal relationship between the severity of fatigue, impaired functioning, psychological symptoms, and poor sleep. Physicians should be aware that a substantial proportion of patients seeking care for fatigue have these additional health and psychosocial problems. 2008;6:519-527. DOI: 10.1370/afm.908. Ann Fam Med INTRODUCTIONF atigue is a nonspecifi c symptom and often the main one for which patients consult general practitioners; its prevalence ranges from 5% to 10%. [1][2][3][4] Fatigue frequently remains the only (symptom) diagnosis in an episode of care.2 Serious functional impairment, psychological symptoms, and disturbed sleep often accompany fatigue. [5][6][7][8] Knowledge about the course of fatigue and related problems in a heterogeneous primary care population is scarce, however, because most longitudinal studies on fatigued populations have been performed in highly selected groups, such as patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), postviral fatigue, or cancer.Available studies on fatigue in primary care often concern a general population of primary care patients rather than patients seeking care for fatigue as a main symptom, have a follow-up limited to a single measurement rather than repeated measurements, or have a small sample size. 520 FAT IGUE IN PR IM A RY C A R EOften, only patients with chronic fatigue have been included. 9 We therefo...

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“…It has been estimated that there is an overall prevalence of fatigue of 27% in ambulatory Australians 60 years of age and over. 80 Studies 81,82,83 in other populations report prevalence from 10-25%, with marked cross-cultural variability. 84 Fatigue syndromes lie along a continuum of severity, from ubiquitous transient and mild states to the more severe and prolonged fatigue disorders, including chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).…”

Section: The Rationale For Investigating Fatiguementioning

confidence: 99%

“…It has been estimated that there is an overall prevalence of fatigue of 27% in ambulatory Australians 60 years of age and over. 80 The Catalytic endogenous enzyme antioxidants such as SOD have a greater capacity to quench free radicals than the classical dietary or supplemental antioxidants. 120,6,121 An orally-active SOD, derived from a combination of melon (Cucumis melo LC) and polymers of gliadin from wheat (Triticum vulgare) (SOD/gliadin) has shown promise as a novel means of inducing antioxidant enzyme activity (SOD, Glutathione peroxidase and Catalase) in human cells.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of phytochemicals in modulating intrinsic human cellular defence processes

Houghton¹

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The characteristics of fatigue in an older primary care sample

Cited by 52 publications

References 24 publications

Psychometric Properties of the Brief Fatigue Inventory in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Psychometric Properties of the Brief Fatigue Inventory in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Prognosis of Fatigue and Functioning in Primary Care: A 1-Year Follow-up Study

The role of phytochemicals in modulating intrinsic human cellular defence processes

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