Table 2.
Results of the systematic literature review
| Variable | Cross-sectional association with fatiguea | Longitudinal association with fatigueb | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | No | Yes | No | |
| Physical functioning | ||||
| Physical (dis)ability | ||||
| Physical function (−) | Univariate, 4 studies [8–11] Multivariate, 2 studies [10, 11] | Univariate, 2 studies [12, 13] Multivariate, 1 study [13] | ||
| Physical role functioning (−) | Univariate, 6 studies [8–12, 14] Multivariate, 2 studies [10, 11] | Univariate, 1 study [13] Multivariate, 1 study [13] | ||
| (Dis)ability (+) | Univariate, 20 studies [10, 12, 14–31] Multivariate, 10 studies [17, 24–28, 32–35] | Multivariate, 4 studies [10, 18, 25, 29] | Univariate, 2 studies [27, 36] Multivariate, 3 studies [27, 37, 38] | |
| Physical capacity (–) | Univariate, 1 study [39] | Univariate, 3 studies [18, 40, 41] Multivariate, 2 studies [18, 39] | ||
| Physical activity (−) | Univariate, 5 studies [10, 25, 30, 42–44] Multivariate, 2 studies [32, 44] | Univariate, 2 studies [18, 40] Multivariate, 3 studies [10, 18, 25] | 4 meta-analyses of physical activity interventions [45–48] | Univariate, 1 study [39] Multivariate, 1 study [39] |
| Psychological functioning | ||||
| Mental well-being (–) | ||||
| Mental health (−) | Univariate, 4 studies [9, 10, 24, 31] | Univariate, 3 studies [8, 12, 13] Multivariate, 1 study [13] | Multivariate change in fatigue, 2 studies [37, 38] | Multivariate change in fatigue, 1 study [38] |
| Emotional role functioning (−) | Univariate. 4 studies [8, 9, 14, 24] | Univariate. 1 study [13] Multivariate. 1 study [13] | ||
| Social functioning (−) | Univariate, 4 studies [9, 10, 14, 24] | Univariate, 1 study [13] Multivariate, 1 study [13] | ||
| Stress and stressors (+) | ||||
| Chronic stress (+) | Univariate, 3 studies [27, 49, 50] Multivariate, 1 study [27] | Multivariate, 1 study [50] | ||
| Daily stressors and events (+) | Univariate correlation level, 1 study [27] Multivariate correlation level, 1 study [27] EMA, 3 studies [51–53] | Multivariate correlation level, 1 study [27] Multivariate correlation change, 1 study [27] EMA, 1 study [54] | ||
| Psychological management and relational factors (–) | ||||
| Self-efficacy (−) | Univariate, 8 studies [10, 11, 21, 29, 50, 55–57] Multivariate, 2 studies [21, 29] | Multivariate, 2 studies [50, 55] | ||
| Coping (−) | Univariate, 3 studies [10, 58, 59] Multivariate, 1 study [58] | Univariate, 3 studies [50, 56, 59] Multivariate, 2 studies [50, 58] | Fatigue change [58] | Fatigue level, 1 study [56] Fatigue change, 2 studies [56, 58] |
| Social support (−) | Univariate, 4 studies [10, 27, 29, 55] Multivariate, 4 studies [27, 29, 50, 55] | Univariate, 2 studies [10, 50] | Fatigue level, 1 study [27] Fatigue change, 1 study [27] | |
| Comorbidities and symptoms | ||||
| Pain (+) | Univariate, 24 studies [8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17–20, 24, 31, 39, 40, 50, 60–69] Multivariate, 10 studies [10, 17, 18, 32, 39, 50, 61, 63, 66, 70] EMA, 1 study [62] | Univariate, 1 study [8] Multivariate, 1 study [13] | Univariate correlation levels, 2 studies [66, 71] Multivariate correlation levels, 1 study [66] Univariate correlation changes, 4 studies [37, 70, 72, 73] | Univariate correlation levels, 2 studies [39, 56] Multivariate correlation, 1 study [39] EMA diurnal, 1 study [54] EMA monthly, 1 study [71] |
| Sleep disturbance (+) | Univariate, 14 studies [8, 10, 25, 27, 30–32, 49, 56, 67, 74–77] Multivariate, 8 studies [10, 25, 32, 49, 75, 76, 78] EMA 1 study [62]. | Univariate, 1 study [64] Multivariate,1 study [77] | Correlational, 1 study [56] EMA, 2 studies [54, 78] | Correlational. 3 studies [56, 64, 79] Experimental. 1 study [80] |
| Obesity (+) | Univariate, 1 study [25] Multivariate, 1 study [25, 39] | Univariate, 2 studies [18, 39] Multivariate, 1 study [39] | Correlational, 1 study [39] | |
| Depression (+) | Univariate, 15 studies [8, 16, 19, 22, 25, 27, 39, 40, 50, 56, 58, 64, 68, 75, 81] Multivariate, 7 studies [19, 25, 39, 40, 50, 75, 77] | Multivariate, 1 study [27] | Univariate correlation level, 4 studies [22, 27, 39, 58] Multivariate correlation level, 1 study [58] Outcome, 2 studies [37, 38] | Univariate correlation level, 1 study [58] Multivariate correlation level, 2 studies [27, 56] Outcome, 2 studies [22, 79] |
| Anxiety (+) | Univariate, 3 studies [16, 22, 27] Multivariate, 2 studies [27, 77] | Univariate correlation level, 2 studies [22, 27] Multivariate correlation level, 1 study [27] | ||
Studies that did (yes) or did not (no) find a significant positive (+) or negative (–) cross-sectional association with fatigue levels or longitudinal association with longer-term fatigue levels or change in fatigue levels.
If an article reported more than one association (e.g. with more than one fatigue measure), then the median of the associations was taken.
a
Cross-sectional association studies include univariate correlations or analyses of variance and multivariate regression analyses, analyses of variance or structural equation modelling in which associations are controlled for other variables.
b
Longitudinal association studies include regression (correlational) analyses without a manipulation, experimental (laboratory) studies, clinical experimental studies and EMA studies.