Employment status in chronic fatigue syndrome. A cross-sectional study examining the value of exercise testing and self-reported measures for the assessment of employment status

Abstract

Objective: To examine the value of exercise testing and self-reported disability for the assessment of employment status in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Design: Cross-sectional observational study.

Setting: A university-based chronic fatigue clinic.

Subjects: Fifty-four consecutive, Flemish, employed (not self-employed) chronic fatigue syndrome patients (49/54 female).

Interventions: Not applicable.

Main outcome measures: Participants were questioned about their current and premorbid employment status, filled in the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Activities and Participation Questionnaire (CFS-APQ), the Medical Outcomes Short Form 36 Health Status Survey (SF-36), and performed a maximal exercise test on a bicycle ergometer with continuous monitoring of cardiorespiratory variables.

Results: A significant association was observed between the current employment rate and two SF-36 subscales (i.e., role limitations due to physical functioning and social functioning; rho=0.39 and 0.35 respectively) (n = 54). Analysing only the female chronic fatigue syndrome patients (n = 49), the current employment rate correlated significantly with the peak workload (rho=0.38).

Conclusions: The associations between either exercise testing or self-reported disability and employment status are too weak to predict employment status.

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