Chronic fatigue syndrome is fairly common among Indian women. A population based survey of 3000 randomly selected women aged 18-50 by Patel and colleagues (p 1190) showed that more than 12% of women report chronic fatigue, and the most prominent risk factors are older age, socioeconomic deprivation, gender disadvantage (marital sexual violence in particular), and symptoms of common mental disorders. Almost 20% of women who refused to participate said that the reason was that a family member had not given permission.
Figure 1.
Credit: TRYGVE BOLSTAD/PANOS