TABLE 1.
Past Year Duration of Neurocognitive, Respiratory, and General Malaise Symptoms Reported by Participants During Their Mid-30s (N = 500): 1983–2005
| Durationa |
||||
| Symptoms | Not in the Past Year, % | 1–4 Weeks, % | 1–3 Months, % | More Than 3 Months, % |
| Neurocognitive symptoms | ||||
| Headache | 43.2 | 39.7 | 9.0 | 8.1 |
| Difficulty thinking or concentrating | 75.7 | 16.8 | 4.1 | 3.4 |
| Difficulty remembering things | 80.6 | 11.3 | 3.0 | 5.1 |
| Difficulty learning new things | 93.7 | 2.8 | 1.1 | 2.4 |
| Respiratory symptoms | ||||
| Chest colds | 53.6 | 42.6 | 3.8 | 0.0 |
| Coughing spells | 75.3 | 21.3 | 2.8 | 0.6 |
| Shortness of breath when not exercising | 87.0 | 9.8 | 2.4 | 0.8 |
| Bronchitis or pneumonia | 90.2 | 8.6 | 0.2 | 1.0 |
| Asthma | 91.2 | 5.2 | 0.8 | 2.8 |
| General malaise | ||||
| Trouble sleeping | 56.0 | 26.6 | 8.8 | 8.6 |
| Staying home most or all of the day because of not feeling well | 56.1 | 39.9 | 2.2 | 2.2 |
| Trouble getting started in the morning | 63.7 | 23.9 | 6.0 | 6.4 |
| Appetite loss | 85.7 | 11.7 | 1.6 | 1.0 |
a
Participants were asked “How often during the past year did the following bother you?”