Department of Family and Community Medicine, Unaizah College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Unaizah, Saudi Arabia.
Research Unit, Unaizah College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Unaizah, Saudi Arabia.
Front Public Health. 2023 Oct 5;11:1254723. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1254723. eCollection 2023.
Despite substantial literature on symptoms and long-term health implications associated with COVID-19; prevalence and determinants of post-acute COVID-19 fatigue (PCF) remain largely elusive and understudied, with scant research documenting health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Hence, prevalence of PCF and its associated factors, and HRQoL among those who have survived Covid-19 within the general population of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is the subject under examination in this research.
This cross-sectional study was conducted on 2063 individuals, selected from the KSA's general population, using a non-probability sampling approach. An online survey was used to employ a self-administered questionnaire to the participants, which included socio-demographic information, the patient's COVID-19 infection history, 12-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) to assess quality of life, and Chalder Fatigue Scale (CFS) (CFQ 11) to evaluate the extent and severity of fatigue. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26. A < 0.05 was considered to be strong evidence against the null hypothesis.
The median age of participants was 34 (IQR = 22) years, with females comprising the majority (66.2%). According to the SF-12 questionnaire, 91.2% of patients experienced physical conditions, and 77% experienced depression. The prevalence of PCF was 52% on CFQ 11 scale. Female gender, higher levels of education, a pre-existing history of chronic disease, as well as the manifestations of shortness of breath and confusion during acute COVID-19 infection, were identified as independent predictors of fatigue.
To facilitate timely and effective intervention for post-acute COVID-19 fatigue, it is essential to continuously monitor the individuals who have recovered from acute COVID-19 infection. Also, it is critical to raise health-education among these patients to improve their quality of life. Future research is required to determine whether COVID-19 survivors would experience fatigue for an extended duration and the impact of existing interventions on its prevalence and severity.
尽管有大量关于 COVID-19 症状和长期健康影响的文献，但与 COVID-19 后急性疲劳（PCF）相关的流行程度和决定因素仍在很大程度上难以捉摸和研究不足，很少有研究记录与健康相关的生活质量（HRQoL）。因此，本研究旨在调查沙特阿拉伯（KSA）普通人群中 COVID-19 幸存者的 PCF 流行程度及其相关因素和 HRQoL。
本横断面研究采用非概率抽样方法，对 2063 名来自 KSA 普通人群的个体进行了研究。采用在线调查，向参与者发放自我管理问卷，包括社会人口学信息、患者 COVID-19 感染史、12 项简短健康调查（SF-12）评估生活质量，以及 Chalder 疲劳量表（CFS）（CFQ 11）评估疲劳的程度和严重程度。使用 SPSS 版本 26 进行数据分析。p<0.05 被认为是对零假设的有力反驳。
参与者的中位年龄为 34 岁（IQR=22 岁），女性占多数（66.2%）。根据 SF-12 问卷，91.2%的患者有身体状况，77%的患者有抑郁。CFQ 11 量表上 PCF 的患病率为 52%。女性、较高的教育水平、先前存在的慢性疾病史以及急性 COVID-19 感染时出现呼吸急促和意识模糊的表现，被确定为疲劳的独立预测因素。
为了及时有效地干预 COVID-19 后急性疲劳，必须持续监测从急性 COVID-19 感染中康复的个体。此外，对这些患者进行健康教育至关重要，以提高他们的生活质量。需要进一步研究以确定 COVID-19 幸存者是否会经历长时间的疲劳以及现有干预措施对其流行程度和严重程度的影响。
