Table 2.
Potential predictors of self-rated chronic fatigue syndrome onset by baseline fatigue severity.
| Baseline | No persistent fatigue n = 124,223 | Persistent fatigue n = 10,217 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No CFS n = 123,931 | CFS onset n = 292 | P value | No CFS n = 10,025 | CFS onset n = 192 | P value | Baseline CFS n = 1983 | |
| Females | 58.6% | 55.8% | ns | 72.6% | 72.9% | ns | 69.1% |
| Married/cohabiting | 80.4% | 73.8% | 0.007 | 73.7% | 62.3% | p = 0.001 | 68.4% |
| Off sick | 3.1% | 12.0% | p < 0.001 | 10.0% | 22.6% | p < 0.001 | 20.2% |
| Low income | 15.6% | 25.0% | p < 0.001 | 23.9% | 34.0% | p = 0.001 | 29.9% |
| Few years education | 28.9% | 42.9% | p < 0.001 | 33.4% | 48.1% | p < 0.001 | 36.7% |
| Allergies 4+ | 3.3% | 4.8% | p = 0.001 | 5.6% | 8.3% | ns | 8.9% |
| Eczema | 15.4% | 21.2% | 0.006 | 19% | 23.4% | ns | 22.5% |
| Chronic sinusitis | 5.6% | 9.9% | p = 0.001 | 10.1% | 15.1% | p = 0.022 | 20.1% |
| Stomach ulcer | 2.6% | 7.2% | p < 0.001 | 4.4% | 5.7% | ns | 7.7% |
| Gallstones | 3.6% | 6.8% | p = 0.002 | 5.4% | 5.7% | ns | 6.0% |
| COPD etc | 5.1% | 10.1% | p < 0.001 | 8.6% | 13.0% | 0.033 | 12.9% |
| Chronic cystitis | 1.9% | 4.5% | 0.001 | 3.9% | 9.4% | p < 0.001 | 6.9% |
| GERD | 7.4% | 14.4% | p < 0.001 | 14.1% | 26.0% | p < 0.001 | 17.4% |
| Osteo-arthritis | 7.4% | 15.4% | p < 0.001 | 8.8% | 22.4% | p < 0.001 | 15.2% |
| RA | 2.1% | 6.8% | p < 0.001 | 3.9% | 8.9% | 0.001 | 5.8% |
| IBS | 9.6% | 20.5% | p < 0.001 | 18.8% | 30.7% | p < 0.001 | 29.9% |
| FM | 3.2% | 7.9% | p < 0.001 | 10.5% | 27.1% | p < 0.001 | 22.1% |
| PID | 6.4% | 12.0% | p < 0.001 | 7.7% | 9.9% | ns | 11.7% |
| RSI | 2.2% | 3.8% | ns | 3.2% | 4.2 | ns | 4.7% |
| Migraine | 18.5% | 24.7% | 0.006 | 28.0% | 33.2% | ns | 33.9% |
| Paracetamol >50 pa | 11.4% | 18.9% | p < 0.001 | 24.3% | 35.9% | p < 0.001 | 26.4% |
| No contact healthcare 1 year | 7.9% | 4.5% | 0.030 | 3.0% | 1.6% | Ns | 3.5% |
| Continuous variables | |||||||
| Mean age | 44.2 (12.7) | 47.9 (12.9) | p < 0.001 | 40.9 (11.7) | 45.8 (13.4) | p < 0.001 | 45.2 (11.8) |
| Mean BMI | 26.0 (4.3) | 27.0 (4.7) | p < 0.001 | 26.7 (5.3) | 27.3 (5.5) | ns | 26.4 (4.9) |
| Life events and difficulties score | 2.6 (1.7) | 3.2 (1.8) | p < 0.001 | 3.6 (1.6) | 3.7 (1.5) | ns | 3.5 (1.6) |
| PSQI | 4.0 (2.3) | 5.8 (3.3) | 5.2 (2.8) | 7.3 (3.8) | p < 0.001 | 5.6 (3.2) | |
| SCL Somatization score | 16.2 (4.5) | 19.5 (5.6) | p < 0.001 | 22.6 (6.7) | 26.4 (7.8) | p < 0.001 | 23.6 (7.8) |
| General health perception | −0.12 (0.6) | −0.52 (0.68) | p < 0.001 | −0.64 (0.73) | −1.05 (0.7) | p < 0.001 | −0.80 (0.75) |
FM, fibromyalgia; RA, rheumatoid arthritis; IBS, Irritable bowel syndrome; CFS, chronic fatigue syndrome; PID, prolapsed intervertebral disc; RSI, repetitive strain injury; GERD, gastroesophageal reflux disorder; PSQI, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Inventory; SCL, Symptom checklist.