title: Fatigue in Egyptian patients with rheumatic diseases: a qualitative study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Fatigue is frequent in rheumatic diseases. Fatigue expression and consequences may be modified by cultural differences. Our objective was to increase the understanding of the fatigue experience and characteristics among Egyptian, Muslim patients with rheumatic diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective monocentric qualitative study based on conventional qualitative content analysis, inductive reasoning, grounded theory. Egyptian patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), fibromyalgia or axial spondyloarthritis (AxSpA) were asked about fatigue, its patterns, consequences and self-management.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 60 patients interviewed, 20 patients had each disease (RA, fibromyalgia and AxSpA); median ages ranged from 34 to 40 years. Patients were mainly male (N = 40, 66%), had 3 to 7 years (mean) of disease duration and had moderate disease activity. Some aspects of the patients' experience of fatigue may be specific to the Egyptian and Muslim culture such as the description of fatigue as a physical more than a mental impact of the disease, the response to the effect of fatigue on sexual function and the gender specific (women more than men) limitation of social activities due to fatigue which was more obvious in our study than other previous studies. Other aspects of patients' experience of fatigue like overlap between the patients' perception of fatigue and pain and coping strategies were similar to the findings in previous studies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study gives insights regarding fatigue in rheumatic diseases in an Arabic and Muslim culture. Similarities and differences with previous studies were noted and should be taken into account when assessing these patients.
authors: Rheumatology & Rehabilitation Department, Zagazig University, Faculty of Medicine, 28 Qawmeia street, Zagazig, Egypt. m_a_mortada@yahoo.com.
authors: Mohamed
authors: M
authors: Mortada
authors: Rheumatology & Rehabilitation Department, Zagazig University, Faculty of Medicine, 28 Qawmeia street, Zagazig, Egypt. dr.amalbakry@yahoo.com.
authors: Amal
authors: A
authors: Abdul-Sattar
authors: Department of rheumatology, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Institut Pierre Louis d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique; AP-HP, Pitié Salpêtrière Hospital, F-75013, Paris, France. laure.gossec@psl.aphp.fr.
authors: Laure
authors: L
authors: Gossec
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D004534:Egypt; D005221:Fatigue / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011446:Prospective Studies; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011788:Quality of Life; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000150:complications; D012649:Self Concept