Correlates of fatigue in older women with heart failure.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the relative contribution of psychologic factors and physical symptoms to the variance in fatigue in older women with heart failure.


METHODS
Eighty women who had been hospitalized in the previous 12 months for heart failure were interviewed. Fifty-seven women completed second interviews 18 months after the first interview.


RESULTS
Fatigue was the most frequently occurring physical symptom at both measurement times, and it significantly increased with time. Other physical symptoms contributed uniquely to the variance in fatigue at both measurement times, but psychologic factors did not. At time 1, sleep difficulties, chest pain, and weakness each explained unique variance in fatigue. At time 2, dyspnea was the only variable that explained unique variance in fatigue (9%). Dyspnea also explained a significant portion of the variance (7%) in time 2 fatigue, when time 1 fatigue was controlled.


CONCLUSIONS
Fatigue in older women with heart failure is related more to other physical symptoms than psychologic factors.
Friedman
M M
MM
State University of New York at Buffalo 14214, USA.
King
K B
KB
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000150:complications; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D013997:Time Factors