Table 1.
Demographic characteristics of the study sample
| Variable | ME/CFS patients (n = 240) Mean (SD) or Number (%) |
Controls (n = 88) Mean (SD) or Number (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Age, yrs, Mean (SD) | 49.72 (12.89) | 49.60 (13.30) |
| Sex | ||
| Female | 174 (73) | 70 (80) |
| Male | 65 (27) | 18 (20) |
| Race (%) | ||
| Black or AA | 0 (0) | 1 (1) |
| White | 235 (98) | 85 (97) |
| All Others | 5 (2) | 2 (2) |
| Educational Status (%) | ||
| High School Graduate/GED | 27 (11) | 11 (13) |
| Some College | 49 (20) | 22 (25) |
| College Graduate | 101 (42) | 35 (40) |
| Graduate degree | 37 (15) | 14 (16) |
| Professional degree | 23 (10) | 5 (6) |
| Missing/prefer not to answer | 3 (2) | 0 (0) |
| Marital Status (%) | ||
| Married/cohabitating | 137 (57) | 57 (64) |
| Widowed | 4 (2) | 5 (6) |
| Divorced | 35 (14) | 11 (13) |
| Separated | 1 (1) | 1 (1) |
| Missing/prefer not to answer | 63 (26) | 14 (16) |
| Employment Status (%) | ||
| Working | 26 (11)* | 59 (67)* |
| Not employed | 3 (1) | 3 (3) |
| Retired | 23 (10) | 11 (13) |
| Disabled | 156 (65)* | 0 (0)* |
| Homemaker | 13 (5) | 7 (8) |
| Student | 11 (5) | 5 (6) |
| Missing/prefer not to answer | 8 (3) | 3 (3) |
Note.
*
p < .001