Abstract:
OBJECTIVE: Today, fatigue complaints in adolescence are regarded as an issue for young adults as they may progress to the chronic fatigue syndrome. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between chronic fatigue based on self-reported performance states (P.S.) and subjective symptoms of fatigue assessed with a fatigue scale for young adults (SFS-Y).
METHOD: The SFS-Y consisted of 24 item questions represonting 6 sub-scales, for difficulty in concentrated thinking, languor, reduced activation, reduced motivation, drowsiness and feeling of physical disintegration. The SFS-Y and for assessing fatigue symptoms and P.S. for chronic fatigue were administered to 548 male and female students aged 15-18 yr and to 608 male students aged 16-18 yr, respectively. Discriminant analysis and a logistic analysis model were employed to define the relevance of subjective symptoms of fatigue to chronic fatigue.
RESULTS: It was determined that the SFS-Y can discliminate P.S. with high probability (74.0-81.4%), with accuracy beyond a fixed level. In particular, the correlation with “difficulty in concentrated thinking” was high.
CONCLUSION: It was judged that the SFS-Y is effective as an index for discrimination of chronic fatigue in young adults with a particularly high relationship between “difficulty in centrated thinking” and chronic fatigue.
Source: Kobayashi H, Demura S. Relationship between chronic fatigue and subjective symptoms of fatigue with performance status (P.S.) and subjective fatigue scale for young adults (SFS-Y). Nihon Koshu Eisei Zasshi. 2002 Oct;49(10):1062-9. [Article in Japanese] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12462040