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Table 6 Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form 36 (SF-36), Multi-Dimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI) and Symptom Inventory Scores according to current illness classified by standardized clinically empirical criteria in 164 participants with no exclusionary medical or psychiatric conditions.

From: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome – A clinically empirical approach to its definition and study

SF-36

   

Scale

CFS

ISF

Not Ill

Physical function+

53.3 ± 21.5 *

77.5 ± 18.9

89.7 ± 13.2

Role physical+

18.0 ± 28.5 *

60.7 ± 37.2

88.8 ± 25.0

Bodily pain

41.7 ± 15.7 *

59.7 ± 20.0

77.9 ± 16.0

General health

51.2 ± 20.4 *

70.1 ± 13.6

85.2 ± 13.3

Vitality

18.6 ± 12.5 *

37.3 ± 18.5

72.3 ± 13.0

Social function+

50.0 ± 22.7 *

74.2 ± 19.6

94.8 ± 10.6

Role emotional+

55.8 ± 42.2 *

76.5 ± 33.5

96.1 ± 13.8

Mental health

66.4 ± 18.5 *

74.6 ± 14.0

87.5 ± 9.0

MFI

   

General fatigue+

18.5 ± 2.1 *

14.9 ± 2.7

8.0 ± 2.6

Physical fatigue

14.1 ± 3.2 *

11.0 ± 3.2

6.8 ± 2.2

Mental fatigue

14.1 ± 4.2 *

10.0 ± 4.3

6.6 ± 2.6

Reduced motivation

12.2 ± 3.8 *

10.1 ± 3.3

6.1 ± 2.0

Reduced activity+

14.7 ± 3.1 *

11.5 ± 4.0

5.6 ± 1.6

Symptom Inventory +

47.3 ± 22.0 *

18.6 ± 11.9

6.1 ± 7.1

  1. +Indicate subscales used in validated clinically empirical CFS case definition
  2. Scores are mean ± standard deviation
  3. Bolded figures indicate that specific group scores are significantly different (p < 0.05) from non-fatigued scores.
  4. * indicates that CFS scores are significantly different from ISF scores
  5. Note: Low scores in the SF-36 indicate more severe conditions, whereas in the MFI higher scores indicate more severe conditions.
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BMC Medicine

ISSN: 1741-7015

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