Sex differences in persistent fatigue.
This study examines factors differentiating women and men who suffer from fatigue. It is based on diaries kept by Dutch citizens over a 21-day period between 1987-88. The majority of those with persistent fatigue complaints (PFs) were male, middle-aged, lower-educated and unemployed, and they had more psychological and psycho-social problems than the incidental fatigue sufferers (IFs). Factors differentiating the PFs from the IFs are not the same for both sexes. Moreover, on a number of socio-demographic variables PF men and women differed less from each other than IF men and women. Future research should focus on the gender-specificity of the factors that lead to the development of persistent fatigue.
van Mens-Verhulst
J
J
Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Utrecht University, The Netherlands. J.vanMENS-VERHULST@FSW.RUU.NL
Bensing
J M
JM
D000328:Adult; D005221:Fatigue / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D012923:Social Class