The demographic features of fatigue in the general population worldwide: a systematic review and meta-analysis
BackgroundFatigue is one of the most common subjective symptoms that impairs daily life and predict health-related events. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of fatigue in the global population.MethodsPubMed and the Cochrane Library were used to search for relevant articles from inception t...
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| Format: | Article |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1192121/full |
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| author | Ji-Hae Yoon Na-Hyun Park Ye-Eun Kang Yo-Chan Ahn Eun-Jung Lee Chang-Gue Son Chang-Gue Son |
| author_facet | Ji-Hae Yoon Na-Hyun Park Ye-Eun Kang Yo-Chan Ahn Eun-Jung Lee Chang-Gue Son Chang-Gue Son |
| author_sort | Ji-Hae Yoon |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundFatigue is one of the most common subjective symptoms that impairs daily life and predict health-related events. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of fatigue in the global population.MethodsPubMed and the Cochrane Library were used to search for relevant articles from inception to December 31, 2021. Studies with prevalence data of fatigue in the general population were selected and reviewed by three authors independently and cross-checked. Regarding subgroups, adults (≥18 years), minors (<18 years), and specific occupation population (participants in each study being limited to a specific occupational group), and fatigue types and severity, meta-analysis was conducted to produce point estimates and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).ResultsFrom the initial 3,432 studies, 91 studies accounting for 115 prevalence data points (623,624 participants) were finally selected. The prevalence of general fatigue (fatigue lasting < 6 months, or fatigue of unspecified duration) was 20.4% (95% CI, 16.7–25.0) in adults, 11.7% (95% CI, 5.2–26.6) in minors, and 42.3% (95% CI, 33.0–54.2) in specific occupations. Chronic fatigue (fatigue lasting more than 6 months) affected 10.1% (95% CI, 8.2–12.5) of adults, 1.5% (95% CI, 0.5–4.7) of minors, and 5.5% (95% CI, 1.4–21.6) of subjects in specific occupations. There was an overall female-predominant prevalence for all subgroup analyses, with a total odds ratio of 1.4 (95% CI, 1.3–1.6). Regarding the severity and presence of medical causes, the total prevalence of moderate fatigue [14.6% (95% CI, 9.8–21.8)] was 2.4-fold that of severe fatigue [6.1% (95% CI, 3.4–11.0)], while unexplained fatigue (fatigue experienced by individuals without any underlying medical condition that can explain the fatigue) was ~2.7-fold that of explained fatigue (fatigue experienced by individuals with a medical condition that can explain the fatigue); as proportion of 40.0% of physical, 8.6% of mental, and 28.4% of mixed cause.ConclusionsThis study has produced the first comprehensive picture of global fatigue prevalence in the general population, which will provide vital reference data contributing to fatigue-related research, including the prevention of diseases.Systematic review registrationIdentifier: CRD42021270498. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T21:21:53Z |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T21:21:53Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
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| spelling | doaj.art-7ca2714cb1fb4a46a1f25c61dafca2e42023-07-28T16:23:34ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652023-07-011110.3389/fpubh.2023.11921211192121The demographic features of fatigue in the general population worldwide: a systematic review and meta-analysisJi-Hae Yoon0Na-Hyun Park1Ye-Eun Kang2Yo-Chan Ahn3Eun-Jung Lee4Chang-Gue Son5Chang-Gue Son6Research Center for CFS/ME, Daejeon Oriental Hospital of Daejeon University, Daejeon, Republic of KoreaResearch Center for CFS/ME, Daejeon Oriental Hospital of Daejeon University, Daejeon, Republic of KoreaResearch Center for CFS/ME, Daejeon Oriental Hospital of Daejeon University, Daejeon, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Health Service Management, Daejeon University, Daejeon, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Korean Rehabilitation Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Daejeon University, Daejeon, Republic of KoreaResearch Center for CFS/ME, Daejeon Oriental Hospital of Daejeon University, Daejeon, Republic of KoreaInstitute of Bioscience and Integrative Medicine, Daejeon University, Daejeon, Republic of KoreaBackgroundFatigue is one of the most common subjective symptoms that impairs daily life and predict health-related events. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of fatigue in the global population.MethodsPubMed and the Cochrane Library were used to search for relevant articles from inception to December 31, 2021. Studies with prevalence data of fatigue in the general population were selected and reviewed by three authors independently and cross-checked. Regarding subgroups, adults (≥18 years), minors (<18 years), and specific occupation population (participants in each study being limited to a specific occupational group), and fatigue types and severity, meta-analysis was conducted to produce point estimates and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).ResultsFrom the initial 3,432 studies, 91 studies accounting for 115 prevalence data points (623,624 participants) were finally selected. The prevalence of general fatigue (fatigue lasting < 6 months, or fatigue of unspecified duration) was 20.4% (95% CI, 16.7–25.0) in adults, 11.7% (95% CI, 5.2–26.6) in minors, and 42.3% (95% CI, 33.0–54.2) in specific occupations. Chronic fatigue (fatigue lasting more than 6 months) affected 10.1% (95% CI, 8.2–12.5) of adults, 1.5% (95% CI, 0.5–4.7) of minors, and 5.5% (95% CI, 1.4–21.6) of subjects in specific occupations. There was an overall female-predominant prevalence for all subgroup analyses, with a total odds ratio of 1.4 (95% CI, 1.3–1.6). Regarding the severity and presence of medical causes, the total prevalence of moderate fatigue [14.6% (95% CI, 9.8–21.8)] was 2.4-fold that of severe fatigue [6.1% (95% CI, 3.4–11.0)], while unexplained fatigue (fatigue experienced by individuals without any underlying medical condition that can explain the fatigue) was ~2.7-fold that of explained fatigue (fatigue experienced by individuals with a medical condition that can explain the fatigue); as proportion of 40.0% of physical, 8.6% of mental, and 28.4% of mixed cause.ConclusionsThis study has produced the first comprehensive picture of global fatigue prevalence in the general population, which will provide vital reference data contributing to fatigue-related research, including the prevention of diseases.Systematic review registrationIdentifier: CRD42021270498.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1192121/fullfatiguechronic fatigueprevalencegeneral populationglobal populationsystematic review |
| spellingShingle | Ji-Hae Yoon Na-Hyun Park Ye-Eun Kang Yo-Chan Ahn Eun-Jung Lee Chang-Gue Son Chang-Gue Son The demographic features of fatigue in the general population worldwide: a systematic review and meta-analysis Frontiers in Public Health fatigue chronic fatigue prevalence general population global population systematic review |
| title | The demographic features of fatigue in the general population worldwide: a systematic review and meta-analysis |
| title_full | The demographic features of fatigue in the general population worldwide: a systematic review and meta-analysis |
| title_fullStr | The demographic features of fatigue in the general population worldwide: a systematic review and meta-analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | The demographic features of fatigue in the general population worldwide: a systematic review and meta-analysis |
| title_short | The demographic features of fatigue in the general population worldwide: a systematic review and meta-analysis |
| title_sort | demographic features of fatigue in the general population worldwide a systematic review and meta analysis |
| topic | fatigue chronic fatigue prevalence general population global population systematic review |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1192121/full |
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