Differences in the experience of fatigue in patients and healthy controls: patients' descriptions.
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.
Gielissen
Marieke F
MF
Expert Centre Chronic Fatigue Nijmegen, Radboud University, Nijmegen Medical Centre, The Netherlands. m.gielissen@nkcv.umcn.nl
Knoop
Hans
H
Servaes
Petra
P
Kalkman
Joke S
JS
Huibers
Marcus J
MJ
Verhagen
Stans
S
Bleijenberg
Gijs
G
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