Abstract
Objective The aim of the current study was to compare physical activity and sleep duration between patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), and controls and to examine the association between physical activity level and sleep duration with symptom severity within these patient groups. Methods This study used data of LifeLines, a general population cohort in which 1.0% (n=943, 63.7% female, age 44.9 (SD 11.6) years) reported CFS, 3.0% (n=2,714; 91.6% female; age 48.4 (SD 10.7) years) reported FMS, and 95.7% (n=87,532; 57.9% female; age 44.3 (SD 12.4) years) reported neither CFS nor FMS. Physical activity, sleep duration, and symptom severity were assessed by questionnaires and analysed using ANCOVA and regression analyses, adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, smoking, and educational level. Results Patients with CFS and FMS had significantly lower physical activity scores (8834 ± 5967 and 8813 ± 5549 MET ∗ minutes) than controls (9541 ± 5533; p < 0.001). Patients with CFS had the longest sleep duration (466 ± 86 minutes) compared to patients with FMS and controls (450 ± 67 and 446 ± 56; p < 0.001). A linear association between physical activity, sleep duration, and symptom severity was only found in controls, in whom higher physical total activity scores and longer sleep duration were associated with a lower symptom severity. In contrast, quadratic associations were found in all groups: both relatively low and high physical activity scores and relatively short and long sleep duration were associated with higher symptom severity in CFS, FMS, and controls. Conclusion This study indicates that patients with CFS or FMS sleep longer and are less physically active than controls on average. Both low and high levels of physical activity and short and long sleep duration are associated with higher symptom severity, suggesting the importance of patient-tailored treatment.
Highlights
Functional somatic syndromes (FSS), including chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), are common, disabling, and costly health conditions without known underlying organic pathology [1,2,3,4]
Various studies have evaluated the ability of patients with CFS or FMS to perform physical activity, but the results are conflicting [8,9,10]. ere are different approaches in the way individuals with CFS and FMS cope with physical activity
Pain Research and Management and fatigue [9, 11, 12]. is indicates that, in patients with CFS and FMS, both high and low levels of physical activity may result in higher symptom severity, comparable to what is observed in the general population [13]
Summary
Functional somatic syndromes (FSS), including chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), are common, disabling, and costly health conditions without known underlying organic pathology [1,2,3,4]. CFS is an illness characterised by profound disabling unexplained fatigue [5], while the primary complaint of patients with FMS is unexplained musculoskeletal pain [6]. Both core symptoms are typically accompanied by various additional symptoms. Is indicates that, in patients with CFS and FMS, both high and low levels of physical activity may result in higher symptom severity, comparable to what is observed in the general population [13]. An association between sleep duration and symptom severity may exist in these patient groups [16]
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