Fatigue in type 1 diabetes, prevalence, predictors and comparison with the background population.

AIM

Fatigue is scarcely studied in type 1 diabetes (T1D), and the aims were to investigate its prevalence compared to the background population, potential associations, and to validate the Fatigue Questionnaire (FQ) in type 1 diabetes.

METHODS

Persons with T1D were recruited from three outpatient clinics in Norway. Fatigue was measured using the FQ, and FQ data from the Norwegian background population were used for comparison. Socio-demographic and clinical variables were obtained by self-report, clinical investigation, medical records and laboratory tests.

RESULTS

Of 332 eligible patients, 288 (87%) were included. Mean age was 44.65/44.95 years (SD 13.34/13.38) for females/males, respectively. Total fatigue (TF) was 15.31 (SD 5.51) compared to 12.2 (SD 4.0) in the background population (p < 0.001). HADS ≥ 8, current menstruation, increased leukocytes and sleep problems were associated with increased TF. Chronic fatigue (CF) was reported in 26.4% compared to 11% in the background population (p < 0.001). HADS ≥ 8, increased time since diagnosis and decreased sleep quality were associated with CF. The validity, internal consistency and repeatability of the FQ was confirmed.

CONCLUSIONS

Fatigue was more common in T1D than in the background population, and associated with increased anxiety, depression and sleep problems. The FQ demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties.