Table 3.
Self-reported symptoms commonly associated with functional somatic syndromes
| Variables | Men, age (years), n (%)
|
Women, age (years), n (%)
|
||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | 18–39 | 40–49 | 50–59 | 60–72 | All | 18–39 | 40–49 | 50–59 | 60–72 | |
| Have you within the last 12 months experienced pain from shoulders, arms, or hands? | ||||||||||
| Yes | 1,287 (29.5) | 165 (23.3) | 247 (27.8) | 365 (32.8) | 510 (30.5) | 2,131 (41.4) | 248 (27.7) | 467 (41.3) | 660 (47.5) | 756 (43.8) |
| No | 3,088 (70.6) | 542 (76.6) | 640 (72.2) | 745 (67.2) | 1,161 (69.5) | 3,011 (58.6) | 648 (72.3) | 663 (58.7) | 729 (52.5) | 971 (56.2) |
| How frequently are you bothered by pain from shoulders, arms, or hands? | ||||||||||
| Never | 3,117 (71.2) | 553 (78.2) | 643 (72.5) | 749 (67.5) | 1,172 (70.1) | 2,994 (58.2) | 655 (73.1) | 665 (58.9) | 722 (52.0) | 951 (55.1) |
| Occasionally | 638 (14.6) | 102 (14.4) | 141 (15.9) | 169 (15.1) | 226 (13.5) | 834 (16.2) | 119 (13.2) | 189 (16.7) | 238 (17.1) | 288 (16.7) |
| Frequently | 460 (10.5) | 39 (5.5) | 85 (9.6) | 141 (12.7) | 195 (11.7) | 894 (17.4) | 94 (10.5) | 182 (16.1) | 275 (19.8) | 343 (19.9) |
| Almost constantly | 160 (3.7) | 13 (1.8) | 18 (1.9) | 51 (4.6) | 78 (4.7) | 421 (8.2) | 28 (3.1) | 94 (8.3) | 154 (11.1) | 145 (8.3) |
| Have you within the last 12 months experienced pain from legs or feet? | ||||||||||
| Yes | 1,177 (26.9) | 144 (20.4) | 216 (24.4) | 312 (28.1) | 505 (30.2) | 1,734 (33.7) | 166 (18.5) | 336 (29.7) | 565 (40.7) | 667 (38.6) |
| No | 3,198 (73.1) | 563 (79.6) | 671 (75.6) | 798 (71.9) | 1,166 (69.8) | 3,408 (66.3) | 730 (81.5) | 794 (70.3) | 824 (59.3) | 1,060 (61.4) |
| How frequently are you bothered by pain from legs or feet? | ||||||||||
| Never | 3,200 (73.1) | 571 (80.8) | 676 (76.2) | 798 (71.9) | 1,155 (69.1) | 3,384 (65.8) | 735 (82.0) | 793 (70.2) | 820 (59.0) | 1,036 (60.0) |
| Occasionally | 600 (13.7) | 82 (11.6) | 115 (13.0) | 172 (15.5) | 231 (13.8) | 691 (13.4) | 82 (9.2) | 149 (13.2) | 220 (15.8) | 240 (13.9) |
| Frequently | 391 (8.9) | 43 (6.1) | 70 (7.9) | 92 (8.3) | 186 (11.1) | 717 (13.9) | 53 (5.9) | 124 (11.0) | 233 (16.8) | 307 (17.8) |
| Almost constantly | 184 (4.2) | 11 (1.6) | 26 (2.9) | 48 (4.3) | 99 (5.9) | 350 (6.8) | 26 (2.9) | 64 (5.7) | 116 (8.4) | 144 (8.3) |
| Have you within the last 12 months experienced pain from the neck, chest or back? | ||||||||||
| Never | 2,778 (63.5) | 486 (68.7) | 543 (61.2) | 642 (57.9) | 1,107 (66.2) | 2,711 (52.7) | 572 (63.8) | 569 (50.4) | 663 (47.7) | 907 (52.5) |
| Occasionally | 953 (21.8) | 140 (19.8) | 212 (23.9) | 276 (24.8) | 325 (19.4) | 1,225 (23.8) | 167 (18.6) | 283 (25.0) | 357 (25.8) | 418 (24.2) |
| Frequently | 459 (10.5) | 56 (7.9) | 93 (10.5) | 137 (12.4) | 173 (10.4) | 825 (16.0) | 110 (12.3) | 195 (17.3) | 253 (18.2) | 267 (15.5) |
| Almost constantly | 185 (4.2) | 25 (3.5) | 39 (4.4) | 55 (5.0) | 66 (3.9) | 381 (7.4) | 47 (5.2) | 83 (7.3) | 116 (8.4) | 135 (7.8) |
| Have you within the last 12 months experienced stomach pain or stomach cramps? | ||||||||||
| Never | 2,964 (68.0) | 479 (67.8) | 600 (67.9) | 745 (67.4) | 1,140 (68.5) | 2,580 (50.5) | 329 (37.0) | 558 (49.5) | 702 (51.0) | 991 (57.7) |
| Occasionally | 1,195 (27.4) | 197 (27.9) | 240 (27.1) | 303 (27.3) | 455 (27.3) | 2,029 (39.7) | 433 (48.7) | 445 (39.5) | 556 (40.4) | 595 (34.6) |
| Frequently | 180 (4.1) | 27 (3.8) | 41 (4.6) | 55 (5.0) | 57 (3.4) | 445 (8.7) | 110 (12.4) | 117 (10.4) | 102 (7.4) | 116 (6.8) |
| Almost constantly | 22 (0.5) | 3 (0.4) | 3 (0.3) | 3 (0.3) | 13 (0.8) | 56 (1.1) | 17 (1.9) | 7 (0.6) | 16 (1.2) | 16 (0.9) |
| In the last 12 months, how much have you been bothered by precordial discomfort or chest pain? | ||||||||||
| Not at all | 3,390 (76.9) | 525 (73.5) | 681 (76.3) | 847 (75.6) | 1,337 (79.5) | 3,962 (77.1) | 659 (73.5) | 893 (79.3) | 1,066 (76.7) | 1,344 (77.8) |
| A bit | 827 (18.8) | 147 (20.6) | 176 (19.7) | 221 (19.6) | 283 (16.8) | 897 (17.5) | 179 (20.0) | 175 (15.5) | 232 (16.7) | 311 (18.0) |
| Somewhat | 147 (3.3) | 34 (4.8) | 28 (3.1) | 42 (3.8) | 43 (2.5) | 199 (3.9) | 36 (4.0) | 42 (3.7) | 67 (4.8) | 54 (3.1) |
| Quite a bit | 37 (0.8) | 8 (1.1) | 7 (0.8) | 7 (0.6) | 15 (0.9) | 75 (1.5) | 22 (2.5) | 14 (1.2) | 23 (1.7) | 16 (0.9) |
| A lot | 9 (0.2) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (0.1) | 4 (0.4) | 4 (0.2) | 6 (0.1) | 1 (0.1) | 2 (0.2) | 1 (0.1) | 2 (0.1) |
| In the last 12 months, how much have you been bothered by headaches? | ||||||||||
| Not at all | 2,944 (66.7) | 428 (59.98) | 530 (59.3) | 740 (66.2) | 1,246 (73.8) | 2,262 (43.8) | 251 (28.0) | 342 (30.2) | 587 (42.0) | 1,082 (62.0) |
| A bit | 1,138 (25.8) | 212 (29.7) | 276 (30.9) | 293 (26.1) | 357 (21.1) | 1,901 (36.8) | 368 (41.1) | 489 (43.2) | 542 (38.8) | 502 (28.8) |
| Somewhat | 221 (5.0) | 56 (7.8) | 58 (6.5) | 53 (4.7) | 54 (3.2) | 608 (11.8) | 160 (17.9) | 175 (15.5) | 169 (12.1) | 104 (6.0) |
| Quite a bit | 87 (2.0) | 14 (2.0) | 24 (2.7) | 23 (2.1) | 26 (1.5) | 307 (5.9) | 94 (10.5) | 95 (8.4) | 76 (5.4) | 42 (2.4) |
| A lot | 24 (0.5) | 4 (0.6) | 6 (0.7) | 9 (0.8) | 5 (0.3) | 92 (1.8) | 23 (2.6) | 31 (2.7) | 23 (1.6) | 15 (0.9) |
| In the last 12 months, how much have you been bothered by excessive fatigue? | ||||||||||
| Not at all | 1,620 (36.7) | 160 (22.4) | 284 (31.8) | 410 (36.6) | 766 (45.4) | 1,390 (26.8) | 106 (11.8) | 235 (20.7) | 334 (23.9) | 715 (40.6) |
| A bit | 1,854 (42.0) | 317 (44.4) | 414 (46.3) | 481 (42.9) | 642 (38.0) | 2,157 (41.7) | 355 (39.5) | 502 (44.3) | 620 (44.4) | 680 (38.9) |
| Somewhat | 630 (14.3) | 166 (23.2) | 135 (15.1) | 147 (13.1) | 182 (10.8) | 922 (17.8) | 246 (27.7) | 215 (19.0) | 246 (17.7) | 215 (12.3) |
| Quite a bit | 254 (5.8) | 51 (7.1) | 54 (6.0) | 64 (5.7) | 85 (5.0) | 525 (10.1) | 136 (15.1) | 132 (11.7) | 151 (10.8) | 106 (6.1) |
| A lot | 58 (1.3) | 20 (2.8) | 7 (0.8) | 18 (1.6) | 13 (0.8) | 183 (3.5) | 55 (6.1) | 49 (4.3) | 46 (3.3) | 33 (1.9) |
| In the last 12 months, how much have you been bothered by concentration difficulties? | ||||||||||
| Not at all | 2,733 (61.8) | 312 (43.6) | 541 (60.5) | 678 (60.5) | 1,202 (71.2) | 2,670 (51.6) | 356 (39.7) | 549 (48.5) | 685 (49.1) | 1,080 (61.8) |
| A bit | 1,270 (28.7) | 276 (38.6) | 273 (30.5) | 340 (30.3) | 380 (22.5) | 1,782 (34.5) | 359 (39.9) | 413 (36.5) | 493 (35.4) | 517 (29.6) |
| Somewhat | 297 (6.7) | 88 (12.3) | 59 (6.7) | 72 (6.4) | 78 (4.6) | 479 (9.3) | 126 (14.0) | 107 (9.5) | 137 (9.8) | 109 (6.2) |
| Quite a bit | 95 (2.1) | 27 (3.8) | 19 (2.1) | 24 (2.1) | 25 (1.5) | 181 (3.5) | 39 (4.3) | 48 (4.2) | 59 (4.2) | 35 (2.0) |
| A lot | 24 (0.5) | 12 (1.7) | 2 (0.2) | 7 (0.6) | 3 (0.2) | 59 (1.1) | 17 (1.9) | 15 (1.3) | 20 (1.4) | 7 (0.4) |
| In the last 12 months, how much have you been bothered by impairment of memory? | ||||||||||
| Not at all | 2,695 (61.0) | 448 (62.7) | 571 (63.9) | 690 (61.6) | 986 (58.5) | 2,743 (53.0) | 486 (54.1) | 595 (52.5) | 697 (50.0) | 965 (55.2) |
| A bit | 1,314 (29.8) | 185 (25.9) | 240 (26,8) | 331 (29.4) | 558 (33.1) | 1,703 (32.9) | 260 (28.9) | 361 (31.9) | 490 (35.2) | 592 (33.9) |
| Somewhat | 283 (6.4) | 54 (7.6) | 61 (6.8) | 66 (5.9) | 102 (6.0) | 476 (9.2) | 105 (11.7) | 103 (9.1) | 130 (9.3) | 138 (7.9) |
| Quite a bit | 100 (2.3) | 18 (2.5) | 19 (2.1) | 27 (2.4) | 36 (2.1) | 183 (3.5) | 37 (4.1) | 51 (4.5) | 53 (3.8) | 42 (2.4) |
| A lot | 24 (0.5) | 9 (1.3) | 3 (0.3) | 8 (0.7) | 4 (0.2) | 68 (1.3) | 11 (1.2) | 23 (2.0) | 24 (1.7) | 10 (0.6) |
| In the last 12 months, how much have you been bothered by dizziness? | ||||||||||
| Not at all | 3,541 (80.2) | 573 (80.3) | 733 (82.1) | 910 (81.3) | 1,325 (78.4) | 3,564 (69.0) | 554 (61.8) | 761 (67.4) | 985 (70.7) | 1,264 (72.3) |
| A bit | 683 (15.5) | 110 (15.4) | 130 (14.6) | 161 (14.3) | 282 (16.7) | 1,203 (23.3) | 235 (26.2) | 281 (24.9) | 312 (22.4) | 375 (21.5) |
| Somewhat | 136 (3.1) | 23 (3.2) | 19 (2.1) | 39 (3.5) | 55 (3.3) | 269 (5.2) | 75 (8.4) | 53 (4.7) | 70 (5.0) | 71 (4.1) |
| Quite a bit | 51 (1.2) | 8 (1.1) | 11 (1.2) | 8 (0.7) | 24 (1.4) | 105 (2.0) | 29 (3.2) | 26 (2.3) | 21 (1.5) | 29 (1.7) |
| A lot | 5 (0.1) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 2 (0.2) | 3 (0.2) | 26 (0.5) | 4 (0.4) | 8 0.7) | 5 (0.4) | 9 (0.5) |
| Have you ever experienced unpleasant reactions upon inhalation of odors or chemicalsa | ||||||||||
| Yes | 2,045 (47.2) | 275 (39.1) | 380 (43.0) | 515 (46.6) | 875 (53.3) | 3,010 (59.0) | 509 (57.3) | 653 (58.3) | 828 (60.0) | 1,020 (59.5) |
Notes:
a
From one or more of the four most commonly reported symptom triggers among persons with multiple chemical sensitivity: car exhausts, other persons wearing of perfume, aftershave or deodorant, cleaning agents, or freshly printed papers or magazines. Please visit Berg et al for further reading about the nature of the four most commonly reported symptom triggers.52