Fatigue: Biomedicine, Health & Behavior - Volume 7, Issue 2, 2019

Titles and abstracts for the journal, Fatigue: Biomedicine, Health & Behavior, Volume 7, Issue 2, 2019.

Volume 7, Issue 2, 2019

 * Myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome case definitions: effects of requiring a substantial reduction in functioning - (Abstract)
 * Serum histidine is lower in fatigued women with multiple sclerosis - (Abstract)
 * Deciphering fatigue factor in chronic hepatitis B infection - (Abstract)
 * The relation between fatigue severity and anxious arousal, negative affect, and emotion dysregulation among adult e-cigarette users "Abstract - Background: Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use has risen dramatically in the United States. Research on combustible cigarette use has indicated that mental health symptoms and disorders are among the most important factors related to the maintenance and relapse of use. There is emerging research that suggests mental health symptoms, such as anxiety and negative affect, are overrepresented among e-cigarette users and that these factors are related to more frequent use of e-cigarettes. Yet, little is known about individual difference factors that may be associated with some of the most common mental health symptoms among e-cigarette users. Objective: Clinically significant fatigue may be one individual difference factor related to greater anxiety and distress and dysregulated emotional states more generally among e-cigarette users. Unfortunately, past work has yet to explore this relation. Method: Thus, the current study sought to evaluate clinically significant fatigue severity and its relation to negative affect, anxious arousal, and emotion dysregulation among 525 adult e-cigarette smokers (50.9% female, Mage = 35.25 years, SD = 10.10). Results: Results indicated that severe fatigue was significantly related to negative affect (p < 0.001), anxious arousal (p < 0.001), and emotion dysregulation (p < 0.001); effects that were evident after adjusting for a range of other factors (e.g. combustible cigarette use). Conclusions: These novel empirical results highlight the severity of fatigue as a potentially important construct in efforts to better understand common mental health problems among e-cigarette users."
 * Acceptance, fatigue severity and self-reported physical activity in individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis "Abstract - Background: Acceptance is a coping strategy associated with chronic pain management, but its effectiveness is unclear for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME). Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between acceptance, fatigue severity, pain and self-reported physical activity in individuals with CFS/ME. Method: Ten females and seven males diagnosed with CFS/ME (51.9 ± 8.8 years), and gender, age-matched sedentary controls, completed self-reported measures of acceptance, fatigue severity and physical activity. Acceptance was measured using the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire and Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II. Fatigue was assessed with the Fatigue Severity Scale, and Physical Activity using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire – Short Form. Self-reported physical activity was calculated using categorical and continuous measures (MET-minutes). Result: CFS/ME and control groups were compared using Independent t-tests and Spearman's Rho correlations. The CFS/ME group reported significantly greater fatigue severity and psychological inflexibility, and lower pain willingness and time spent sitting than controls. However, no between-group differences for activity engagement or physical activity. The CFS/ME group showed a negative relationship between pain willingness and psychological inflexibility, and a positive relationship between walking time and the time since symptom onset, and time since diagnosis. Conclusion: Despite reporting greater fatigue and less acceptance of their illness, CFS/ME patients had comparable levels of physical activity to controls, possibly due to pacing their activity to avoid symptom exacerbation. CFS/ME patients with an older diagnosis walked further than the newly diagnosed, suggesting the development of better coping skills and management strategies over time."