Regional distribution of fatiguing illnesses in the United States: a pilot study

Abstract

BackgroundChronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a debilitating illness with no known cause or effective therapy. Population-based epidemiologic data on CFS prevalence are critical to put CFS in a realistic context for public health officials and others responsible for allocating resources.MethodsWe conducted a pilot random-digit-dialing survey to estimate the prevalence of fatiguing illnesses in different geographic regions and in urban and rural populations of the United States. This report focuses on 884 of 7,317 respondents 18 to 69 years old. Fatigued (440) and randomly selected non-fatigued (444) respondents completed telephone questionnaires concerning fatigue, other symptoms, and medical history.ResultsWe estimated 12,186 per 100,000 persons 18 to 69 years of age suffered from fatigue lasting for at least 6 months (chronic fatigue), and 1,197 per 100,000 described an illness that, though lacking clinical evaluation, met criteria for CFS (CFS-like). Chronic fatigue and CFS-like illness were more common in rural than in urban populations, although the differences were not significant. The prevalence of these fatiguing illnesses did not differ meaningfully among the four regions surveyed, and no significant geographic trends were observed.ConclusionsThis investigation estimated that nearly 2.2 million American adults suffer from CFS-like illness. The study also suggested the need to focus future investigations of fatigue on populations with lower incomes and less education. There was no evidence for regional differences in the occurrence of fatiguing illnesses.

The Prevalence of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in Nigeria

“…This is in contrast to other research that has found that less education is associated with higher levels of fatigue (Bierl et al, 2004;Jason et al, 2000;Patel et al, 2005). It is possible that in a country such as Nigeria, where many individuals encounter unemployment, inadequate amenities and access to healthcare, education may not play a significant role in the experience of fatigue.…”

Regional Prevalence of Fatiguing Illnesses in the United States Before and After the Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001

“…The study design of the National Pilot Survey is described in detail in Bierl et al (21). The survey used a stratified 2-stage cluster design with 2 phases, similar to our previous study of fatiguing illnesses in the general population of Wichita, Kansas (22).…”

“…In our study, each household received a base sampling weight that reflected the probability of selection of the PSU and selection of the household telephone number within the PSU (21). The final household sampling weight incorporated adjustments for multiple residential lines, nonresponse, and households without telephones.…”

“…Of the 440 fatigued respondents, 53 were classified as having prolonged fatigue, 338 were classified as having chronic fatigue, and 49 respondents satisfied the criteria for CFS-like illness. Demographic features of the study population are described in detail elsewhere (21).…”

“…Flow chart of the epidemiological approach and sample characteristics in the national pilot survey (for a detailed description of the survey and prevalence estimates of fatiguing illnesses in the US population, see Bierl et al[21]). …”