Steele L, Dobbins J G, Fukuda K, Reyes M, Randall B, Koppelman M, Reeves W C
Viral Exanthems and Herpesvirus Branch, Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA.
Am J Med. 1998 Sep 28;105(3A):83S-90S. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9343(98)00158-2.
Despite considerable research on chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and conditions associated with unexplained chronic fatigue (CF), little is known about their prevalence and demographic distribution in the population. The present study describes the epidemiology and characteristics of self-reported CF and related conditions in a diverse urban community. The study used a cross-sectional telephone screening survey of households in San Francisco, followed by interviews with fatigued and nonfatigued residents. Respondents who appeared to meet case definition criteria for CFS, based on self-reported fatigue characteristics, symptoms, and medical history, were classified as CFS-like cases. Subjects who reported idiopathic chronic fatigue (ICF) that did not meet CFS criteria were classified as ICF-like cases. Screening interviews were completed for 8,004 households, providing fatigue and demographic information for 16,970 residents. Unexplained CF was extremely rare among household residents <18 years of age, but was reported by 2% of adult respondents. A total of 33 adults (0.2% of the study population) were classified as CFS-like cases and 259 (1.8%) as ICF-like cases. Neither condition clustered within households. CFS- and ICF-like illnesses were most prevalent among women and persons with annual household incomes below $40,000, and least prevalent among Asians. The prevalence of CFS-like illness was elevated among African Americans, Native Americans, and persons engaged in clerical occupations. Although CFS-like cases were more severely ill than those with ICF-like illness, a similar symptom pattern was observed in both groups. In conclusion, conditions associated with unexplained CF occur in all sociodemographic groups but appear to be most prevalent among women, persons with lower income, and some racial minorities.
尽管对慢性疲劳综合征（CFS）以及与不明原因慢性疲劳（CF）相关的病症进行了大量研究，但对于它们在人群中的患病率和人口分布情况却知之甚少。本研究描述了一个多元化城市社区中自我报告的CF及相关病症的流行病学特征。该研究采用了对旧金山家庭进行横断面电话筛查调查的方式，随后对感到疲劳和未感到疲劳的居民进行访谈。根据自我报告的疲劳特征、症状和病史，那些似乎符合CFS病例定义标准的受访者被归类为类CFS病例。报告了不符合CFS标准的特发性慢性疲劳（ICF）的受试者被归类为类ICF病例。对8004户家庭完成了筛查访谈，为16970名居民提供了疲劳和人口统计学信息。在18岁以下的家庭居民中，不明原因的CF极为罕见，但有2%的成年受访者报告了该病。共有33名成年人（占研究人群的0.2%）被归类为类CFS病例，259名（1.8%）被归类为类ICF病例。这两种情况在家庭中均无聚集性。类CFS和类ICF疾病在女性以及家庭年收入低于4万美元的人群中最为普遍，在亚洲人中最为罕见。类CFS疾病在非裔美国人、美洲原住民以及从事文职工作的人群中患病率较高。尽管类CFS病例比类ICF疾病患者病情更严重，但两组观察到相似的症状模式。总之，与不明原因CF相关的病症在所有社会人口群体中均有发生，但在女性、低收入人群和一些少数族裔中似乎最为普遍。
