Objective-To measure the levels of fatigue in the general population, and t
o examine how disease and sociodemographic factors influence fatigue.
Design-Cross sectional questionnaire study in the Danish general population
. Subjects-A random, age stratified sample of 1608 people aged 20-77 with a
n equal gender distribution (response rate 67%).
Main outcome measures-Five fatigue scales from the questionnaire Multidimen
sional Fatigue Inventory: General Fatigue, Physical Fatigue, Reduced Activi
ty, Reduced Motivation and Mental Fatigue.
Results-Fatigue scores were skewed towards absence of fatigue. The General
Fatigue and Physical Fatigue scales showed the highest fatigue levels while
the Reduced Motivation scale showed lowest levels. Gender differences in f
atigue scores were small, but the variability among women was higher-that i
s, more women had high scores. A multiple linear regression analysis showed
that respondents of low social status and respondents with a depression ha
d high fatigue scores on all scales, independent of other factors. Chronic
somatic disease had an independent direct effect on Mental Fatigue, but for
the rest of the scales, the effect of somatic disease depended on age, gen
der and/or whether the person was living alone. For example, General and Ph
ysical Fatigue decreased with age among healthy people, whereas scores on t
hese scales increased with age among those with a somatic disease.
Conclusions-Physical and mental diseases play essential parts for the level
of fatigue and as modulators of the associations between sociodemographic
factors and fatigue. These interactions should be taken into account in fut
ure research on fatigue and sociodemographic factors and when data from cli
nical studies are compared with normative data from the general population.