title: Differences in the experience of fatigue in patients and healthy controls: patients' descriptions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The primary objective was to develop an adjective checklist, the Fatigue Quality List (FQL), aimed at assessing different perceptions of fatigue.
  
  
  METHODS
  961 participants filled out the FQL (28 adjectives). A component and confirmatory factor analyses were performed and psychometric properties were evaluated. Differences on factor scores between different patients' groups were investigated and pre- and post treatment scores were compared in demonstrating change of perceptions after treatment of fatigue.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four independent factors were found with adequate psychometric properties. Different perceptions were found between the patients' groups. Patients who were recovered after treatment for fatigue showed similar scores on the factors as healthy controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The FQL appears to be a promising tool in measuring different perceptions of fatigue, which can be especially interesting for clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: Expert Centre Chronic Fatigue Nijmegen, Radboud University, Nijmegen Medical Centre, The Netherlands. m.gielissen@nkcv.umcn.nl
authors.forename: Marieke F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Gielissen
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Knoop
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Servaes
authors.forename: Joke S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kalkman
authors.forename: Marcus J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Huibers
authors.forename: Stans
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Verhagen
authors.forename: Gijs
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bleijenberg
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D015673:Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D009426:Netherlands; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010465:Perception; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012737:Sex Factors; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology