The use of a symptom "self-report" inventory to evaluate the acceptabilityand efficacy of a walking program for patients suffering with chronic fatigue syndrome

Objectives: The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of the modality of walking as a management strategy for patients suffering with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Methods: Six males and fourteen female s with medically diagnosed CFS (CDC, 1994), completed a 12-week walking pro gram. Prior to starting the program subjects underwent an incremental walki ng exercise test to predetermine their walking intensity. The SCL-90-R symp tom "self-report" questionnaire was administered prior to, and at the compl etion of, the walking program. Results: At the completion of the 12 weeks o f walking, changes in four of the nine SCL-90-R dimensions were significant (somatisation, paranoid ideation, phobic anxiety, and psychoticism). Also significant were the changes in the combination indices, the Global Indices of Distress (GID) and the Positive Symptom Total (PST). Conclusion: This g roup of CFS subjects, by way of "self-report", indicated the possibility of an exercise-induced decrease in psychological stress. The walking interven tion may have evoked positive changes in their well-being and, furthermore, provided no evidence of any exacerbation in their symptoms. (C) 2001 Elsev ier Science Inc. All rights reserved.