Table 2.
Participant characteristics at baseline and follow-up.
| Participant Characteristics | ME/CFS (n = 17) | Controls (n = 17) | Independent t-test | p-Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age in years ((M (SD; range)) | ||||
| Baseline | 15.99 (1.59; 13.42–18.92) | 15.90 (1.60; 13.33–18.08) | 0.17 | 0.86 |
| Follow-up | 18.78 (1.63; 15.5–21.58) | 18.20 (1.56; 15.58–20.58) | 1.07 | 0.29 |
| Female sex (%, n) | 82%, 14 | 65%, 11 | Χ2 = 1.36 | 0.24 |
| Socio-economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) (M (range)) * |
7.12 (1–10) | 7.81 (1–10) | −0.73 | 0.47 |
| Follow-up time interval in years (M (SD; range)) | 2.75 (0.81; 1.83–4.58) | 2.27 (0.43; 1.67–3) | 2.14 | 0.04 |
| Estimated FSIQ (M (SD; range)) ** | ||||
| Baseline | 103.75 (13.67; 86–145) | 107.71 (12.50; 89–130) | −0.87 | 0.39 |
| Follow-up | 105.56 (11.41; 90–136) | 109.94 (12.98; 81–129) | −1.03 | 0.31 |
| Time from symptom onset to diagnosis (study enrolment) (%, n) |
- | - | - | |
| 3–6 months | 24%, 4 | - | - | - |
| 7–12 months | 29%, 5 | - | - | - |
| 13–24 months | 24%, 4 | - | - | - |
| >24 months | 24%, 4 | - | - | - |
| Perceived illness trigger at study enrolment (%, n) ** × | ||||
| Infectious Illness | 41%, 7 | - | - | - |
| Accident | 12%, 2 | - | - | - |
| Severe stress | 12%, 2 | - | - | - |
| Immunisation | 6%, 1 | - | - | - |
| Trip or vacation | 0%, 0 | - | - | - |
| No identifiable trigger | 24%, 4 | - | - | - |
| Visited health professional or specialist between baseline and follow-up × |
||||
| No | 24%, 4 | |||
| Yes | 76%, 13 | |||
| General Practitioner | 47%, 8 | |||
| Paediatrician | 41%, 7 | |||
| Physiotherapist | 29%, 5 | |||
| Psychologist | 29%, 5 | |||
| Cardiologist | 12%, 2 | |||
| Gynaecologist | 12%, 2 | |||
| Psychiatrist | 6%, 1 | |||
| Neurologist | 6%, 1 | |||
| Gastroenterologist | 6%, 1 | |||
| Naturopath | 6%, 1 | |||
| Number of visits to that health professional or specialist between baseline and follow-up |
||||
| 0 visits | 24%, 4 | |||
| 1 visit | 0%, 0 | |||
| 2 visits | 12%, 2 | |||
| 3 visits | 0%, 0 | |||
| >3 visits | 65%, 11 | |||
* Control n = 16; ** ME/CFS n = 16; × Participants reported more than one trigger. For participant characteristics for the full cohort of 48 adolescents (25 ME/CFS, 23 controls) that participated in the original study, see [35].