Table 1 Characteristics and scores of CFS/ME adolescents and healthy controls.
| 72 CFS/ME cases | 167 healthy controls | Mean difference (95% CI) | Adjusted mean difference* (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (y) | 16.0 (1.6) | 15.5 (1.6) | 0.5 (0.08; 0.97) | |
| Gender (% girls) | 82 | 60 | 22 (10; 34) | |
| Fatigue assessment | ||||
| Subscale Subjective Fatigue (CIS‐20) (8 items; 7 point Likert Scale; 1–7; range 8–56) | 46.1 (9.2) | 22.9 (11.0) | 23.2 (20.3; 26.1) | 21.6 (18.7; 24.5) |
| CDC criteria (range 0–8) | ||||
| Number of reported CDC minor symptoms | 5.7 (1.7) | Not specified | ||
| Children's Somatization Inventory | ||||
| (33 items, 5 point Likert Scale 0–4) | ||||
| Total score (range 0–132) | 30.2 (17.7) | 12.4 (10.5) | 17.8 (14.1; 21.4) | 16.2 (12.6; 19.9) |
| Number of symptoms (range 0–33) | 14.1 (6.0) | 7.7 (5.0) | 6.3 (4.8; 7.8) | 5.8 (4.3; 7.3) |
| Top 10 somatic complaints (range 0–4) | ||||
| 1. Low energy | 2.7 (1.1) | 1.3 (1.1) | ||
| 2. Headache | 2.1 (1.4) | 1.1 (1.1) | ||
| 3. Heaviness in arms/legs | 1.9 (1.3) | 0.4 (0.8) | ||
| 4. Dizziness | 1.9 (1.5) | 0.8 (1.0) | ||
| 5. Sore muscles | 1.9 (1.4) | 0.8 (0.9) | ||
| 6. Hot/cold spells | 1.7 (1.3) | 0.6 (1.0) | ||
| 7. Weakness in body parts | 1.7 (1.3) | 0.7 (1.1) | ||
| 8. Pain in joints | 1.7 (1.4) | 0.6 (1.0) | ||
| 9. Nausea/upset stomach | 1.6 (1.4) | 0.8 (1.0) | ||
| 10. Back pain | 1.5 (1.3) | 0.9 (1.2) |
*Adjusted for age and gender.
Values are mean (SD).
95% CI = 95% confidence interval corresponding with p<0.05.