title: Prevalence and Associated Factors of Cancer-Related Fatigue Among Cancer Patients in Eastern China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a subjective and distressing symptom, and its associated factors in developing countries remain ambiguous. The goal of this study was to determine the prevalence of and factors associated with CRF among cancer patients in China.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was designed as a cross-sectional study to determine the prevalence of and factors associated with CRF among cancer patients in eastern China, regardless of their diagnoses. Data were collected by using a questionnaire survey (including demographic information and brief fatigue inventory) after informed written consent was obtained. A chi-square test was used to analyze the correlations between single categorical factors and CRF, and multiple logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the associations of potential risk factors with the presence of CRF.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of a total population of 1,938 cancer patients, 1,749 had completed the study questionnaire; 52.07% (n= 904) reported clinically significant fatigue (score ≥4 on Brief Fatigue Inventory). Four hundred twenty-seven (48.47%) patients younger than age 58 years (the median age) and 475 (55.69%) patients age 58 years or older reported clinically significant fatigue. In multivariate analysis, higher sleep quality (p< .01) was negatively associated with CRF, whereas never engaging in physical exercise (p< .01) and higher clinical stage of cancer (p< .01) were positively associated factors that could increase the odds of CRF.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study suggest that effective management of the two changeable contributing factors of CRF may reduce CRF and thus could be used as references for CRF management.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The two modifiable factors of cancer-related fatigue (CRF)-sleep disturbance and physical exercise-should be specifically assessed and managed to mitigate CRF.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.|Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Hui L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ke J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiao J
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Shu J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China huyan@fudan.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hu
keywords: Associated factors; Cancer-related fatigue; Prevalence