Fatigue Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Fatigue, including details on chronic fatigue syndrome, exhaustion, causes, diagnosis.

Multidimensional measurement of fatigue in advanced cancer patients in palliative care: an application of the multidimensional fatigue inventory.

Munch TN, Strömgren AS, Pedersen L, Petersen MA, Hoermann L, Groenvold M

The Research Unit (T.N.M., A.S.S., L.P., M.A.P., L.H., M.G.), Department of Palliative Medicine, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark. doktormunch@hotmail.com

To investigate the level, dimensionality, and correlates associated with fatigue in patients receiving specialist palliative care, 278 advanced cancer patients referred to a department of palliative medicine during a 2-year period were asked to complete the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20), a self-assessment questionnaire measuring five dimensions of fatigue, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Of 267 eligible patients, 130 (49%) participated. Mean fatigue scores (0-100 scale) were very high, especially for general fatigue (81), physical fatigue (87), and reduced activity (85). Only some of the MFI-20 subscales were significantly correlated. Fatigue was not correlated with sociodemographic factors. Depressed patients had higher scores on all five subscales except physical fatigue. Anxious patients had higher levels on the mental fatigue subscale only. The variation in fatigue explained by depression varied markedly (4%-31%) among subscales. Fatigue levels were very high in this population. The lack of significant correlation between some subscales indicates that they measure different aspects of fatigue. This is also supported by the differences in associations between fatigue subscales and depression and anxiety.

Published 23 June 2006 in J Pain Symptom Manage, 31(6): 533-41.
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