Fatigue: Biomedicine, Health & Behavior - Volume 8, Issue 1, 2020

Titles and abstracts for the journal, Fatigue: Biomedicine, Health & Behavior, Volume 8, Issue 1, 2020.

Volume 8, Issue 1, 2020

 * Effect of coenzyme Q10 supplementation on work-related fatigue in nurses: a double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled study"Abstract - Background: Work-related fatigue is common among nurses and may negatively affect patient safety and nurses’ well-being. Pharmacological interventions with stimulants have had mixed results. The aim of this study was to determine whether coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) supplementation improved work-related fatigue in nurses. Methods: In phase one, all nurses working at our institution filled out questionnaires to assess fatigue and sleep quality. In phase two, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, nurses with significant work-related fatigue were randomly assigned to either 200 mg daily CoQ10 (n = 54) or placebo (n = 51). The primary endpoint was changed in fatigue from baseline to week 4 using a validated questionnaire, the nurses’ fatigue scale. The secondary outcome, sleep quality, was measured with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Results: At baseline, 53.6% of 539 nurses had significant fatigue on the nurses’ fatigue scale. A total of 68.8% of all nurses worked over 25 shifts a month and 40.7% of them had significant fatigue. A significant correlation was found between fatigue and number of work shifts in those nurses (p = .004). A significant improvement in fatigue and sleep quality was found in the CoQ10 group as compared to the baseline and the placebo group (p = .06 and p = .001, respectively). Conclusion: Preferred multifactorial approaches, e.g. reduced work hours, to fatigue reduction are not currently feasible at our center. Given this practical limitation, CoQ10 supplementation was effective in improving fatigue in nurses and maybe a safe approach, ideally in conjunction with other work condition changes."


 * Predicting electronic cigarette dependence and perceived barriers for electronic cigarette cessation: examining the roles of fatigue severity and emotion dysregulation"Abstract - Background: Emotion dysregulation is an important individual difference variable for substance use. Limited empirical data has evaluated the influence of emotion dysregulation on e-cigarette use and outcomes related to use. Similarly, the role of fatigue has received little attention in this regard despite emerging links with e-cigarette use. Methods: Therefore, the present study examined a theoretically informed model focused on whether the experience of more severe fatigue explains, in part, the relation between emotion dysregulation and e-cigarette dependence and perceived barriers to e-cigarette cessation among 525 adult e-cigarette users (50.9% female, Mage = 35.25 years, SD = 10.10). Results: Results suggest that fatigue severity significantly explains part of the relation between emotion dysregulation and dependence (b = 0.04, 95% CI [0.02, 0.06]) as well as perceived barriers for e-cigarette cessation (b = 0.21, 95%CI [0.14, 0.29]). In addition, reverse models were tested that suggest emotion dysregulation may also explain, in part, the relation between fatigue severity and dependence (95% CI [0.07, 0.34]) as well as perceived barriers for e-cigarette cessation (95% CI [0.96, 1.92]). Conclusions: The current study provides initial empirical support for the role of fatigue severity in the relation between emotion dysregulation and e-cigarette use processes, but also highlights the potential for bi-directional effects."


 * Legitimizing myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: indications of change over a decade"Abstract - This commentary identifies recent scientific and clinical milestones that appear to have increased legitimization of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). These milestones include government-funded reports recognizing the seriousness of ME/CFS, new initiatives for biomedical research sponsored by the US National Institutes of Health, official endorsement of the ME/CFS name, publication of practitioner primers, and the launch of a new peer-review fatigue journal. These positive developments are tempered by ongoing illness challenges including patient stigma, absence of diagnostic markers, a lack of established treatments, and a dearth of researchers and knowledgeable, interested clinicians."


 * Temporal associations between physical activity, mental activity and fatigue dimensions in knee osteoarthritis: an exploratory intensive longitudinal study "Abstract - Background: Fatigue may include both physical and mental dimensions. Evidence suggests that physical and mental activity may influence fatigue in knee osteoarthritis (OA). However, how physical and mental activities relate to fatigue dimensions in knee OA is unclear. Purpose: This study estimated intra-day contributions of physical and mental fatigue to general fatigue and evaluated temporal associations between physical activity, mental activity and fatigue dimensions in knee OA. Methods: An intensive longitudinal study combined with ecological momentary assessment of mental activity intensity and fatigue dimensions was conducted on 23 participants with knee OA. Physical activity was monitored continuously with an accelerometer over 7 days. Results: Physical fatigue contributed 33% more to general fatigue earlier in the day than mental fatigue, and 11% more near the end of the day. Within-day, previous general fatigue significantly and negatively predicted: future step counts, light intensity physical activity time, and light intensity physical activity + standing time. We found a significant bidirectional association between mental activity and general fatigue, a positive association between mental activity and mental fatigue and a significant negative association between mental fatigue and mental activity. Conclusion: Within-day general fatigue may be a significant fatigue dimension that reduces physical activity. Conversely there was no evidence that physical activity might contribute to lower scores on any fatigue dimensions in this population. To manage general fatigue, physical and mental fatigue might have to be targeted more precisely at different time of the day."


 * Fatigue and its associated risk factors: a survey of electronics manufacturing shift workers in Malaysia"Abstract - Background: Fatigue among shift workers is one of the problems that not only can cause health impairment but also lead to decrement in safety performance. In Malaysia, few studies have been conducted on the prevalence of fatigue and its risk factors among shift workers, especially in the electronics manufacturing industries when compared with other countries. Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of fatigue and to investigate the factors associated with fatigue among shift workers in the electronics manufacturing industry in Malaysia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a questionnaire to collect data on socio-demographic, working, and lifestyle factors. Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI) was used to assess the prevalence of fatigue in five dimensions: general fatigue, mental fatigue, physical fatigue, reduced activity, and reduced motivation. Descriptive analysis was used to demonstrate the characteristics of the study population. Pearson Correlation was conducted to find the relationship between the variables. Results: The findings show the prevalence of fatigue in all dimensions with the highest in general fatigue (54.5%). Significant associations were found between general fatigue and education level; mental fatigue and shift and overtime; reduced activity and shift and exercise; and reduced motivation with age, marital status, and education level. Conclusions: Shift workers of the electronics manufacturing industry in Malaysia are exposed to fatigue and at risk of getting health impairment and affect their safety performance. Intervention programs may be beneficial to reduce fatigue risk and consequences."