RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Fatigue in childhood chronic disease
JF Archives of Disease in Childhood
JO Arch Dis Child
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
SP 1090
OP 1095
DO 10.1136/archdischild-2019-316782
VO 104
IS 11
A1 Merel M Nap-van der Vlist
A1 Geertje W Dalmeijer
A1 Martha A Grootenhuis
A1 Cornelis K van der Ent
A1 Marry M van den Heuvel-Eibrink
A1 Nico M Wulffraat
A1 Joost F Swart
A1 Raphaële R L van Litsenburg
A1 Elise M van de Putte
A1 Sanne L Nijhof
YR 2019
UL http://adc.bmj.com/content/104/11/1090.abstract
AB Background and objectives Recently, in adults, the incidence and severity of fatigue was found to exist rather independently from the somatic diagnosis. Since fatigue is distressing when growing up with a chronic disease, we aim to investigate: (1) the prevalence and extent of fatigue among various paediatric chronic diseases and (2) the effect of fatigue on health-related quality of life (HRQoL).Design and setting Cross-sectional study in two children’s hospitals.Patients Children and adolescents 2–18 years of age with cystic fibrosis, an autoimmune disease or postcancer treatment visiting the outpatient clinic.Outcome measures Fatigue and HRQoL were assessed using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) multidimensional fatigue scale (with lower scores indicating more fatigue) and PedsQL generic core scales, respectively. Linear regression analysis and analysis of covariance were used to compare fatigue scores across disease groups and against two control groups. The effect of fatigue on HRQoL was calculated. Data were adjusted for age, sex and reporting method.Results 481 children and adolescents were assessed (60% participation rate, mean age 10.7±4.9, 42% men). Children and adolescents with chronic disease reported more fatigue than the general population (mean difference −6.6, 95% CI −8.9 to –4.3 (range 0–100)), with a prevalence of severe fatigue of 21.2%. Fatigue scores did not differ significantly between disease groups on any fatigue domain. Fatigue was associated with lower HRQoL on all domains.Conclusions Fatigue in childhood chronic disease is a common symptom that presents across disease, age and sex groups. Fatigue affects HRQoL. Our findings underscore the need to systematically assess fatigue. Future studies should determine possible biological and psychosocial treatment targets.