Table 1

Demographic and clinical characteristics overall and by fatigue group


Overall
NF
NF | F
ISF
M/P
CFS-R
CFS

No. (%)
339
41 (12.1)
21 (6.2)
90 (26.6)
145 (42.8)
18 (5.3)
24 (7.1)
Mean Age, years (SD)
45.8 (10.9)
46.9(13.0)
40.6(8.2)
44.5(11.2)
47.3(10.5)
46.4(7.5)
44.7(10.4)
Female (%)
77.0
63.4
71.4
74.4
83.5
72.2
79.2
White (%)
94.1
92.7
100.0
91.1
96.6
83.3
95.8
Education > High School(%)
65.5
80.5
66.7
62.2
63.5
55.6
70.8
Income > $40,000/yr (%)
47.5
58.5
61.9
44.4
43.5
66.7
37.5
Mean BMI (SD)*
28.5 (6.3)
25.3(4.7)
28(5.7)
28.6(6.4)
29.5(6.7)
28.6(5.2)
28.2(6.0)
<18.5: Underweight (%)
3.6
7.3
4.8
2.2
2.8
0.0
8.3
18.5–24.9: Normal (%)
25.7
36.6
23.8
27.8
23.6
22.2
16.7
25–29.9: Overweight (%)
30.5
41.5
33.3
26.7
27.8
38.9
33.3
30–39.9: Obesity (%)
32.8
14.6
33.3
33.3
36.1
33.3
41.7
≥ 40: Extreme obesity (%)
7.4
0.0
4.8
10.0
9.7
5.6
0.0
Neck circumference (cm) Mean (SD)
36.4 (3.8)
35.7 (3.9)
36.4 (3.7)
36.8 (4.1)
36.4 (3.8)
36.3 (2.6)
36.3 (3.3)
≥ 43.18 cm in males (%)
12.8
0.0
16.7
17.4
20.8
0.0
0.0
≥ 40.64 cm in females (%)
6.3
7.7
0.0
12.1
4.2
7.7
0.0
Years fatigued, median (Range)
6.8 (0.3–55.5)
--------
--------
5.9 (0.5–40.8)
7.2 (0.3–55.5)
8.6 (2.1–39.7)
6.5 (1.4–47.8)
Mean Wellness score (SD)
53.0 (22.7)
85.5(14.9)
70.5(17.2)
51.9 (17.0)
44.0 19.3)
56.4 19.2)
39.8 (18.3)
Fatigue severity score Mean (SD)
5.4 (1.0)
-------
------
5.0 (0.9)
5.5 (1.0)
5.6 (0.8)
6.0 (0.6)

*P = 0.0157; P < 0.0001 NF – never fatigued; NF|F – baseline fatigue currently not fatigued; ISF – insufficient symptoms or fatigue for CFS; M/P – medical or psychiatric exclusion; CFS-R – baseline CFS currently remission; CFS – currently CFS

Unger et al. BMC Neurology 2004 4:6   doi:10.1186/1471-2377-4-6