Abstract
Horemans HL, Nollet F, Beelen A, Lankhorst GJ. A comparison of 4 questionnaires to
measure fatigue in postpoliomyelitis syndrome. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2004;85:392–8.
Objective
To assess the comparability and reproducibility of 4 questionnaires used to measure
fatigue in postpoliomyelitis syndrome (PPS).
Design
Repeated-measures at a 3-week interval.
Setting
University hospital.
Participants
Convenience sample of 65 patients with PPS.
Interventions
Not applicable.
Main outcome measures
The Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) energy category,
the Polio Problem List (PPL) fatigue item, and the Dutch Short Fatigue Questionnaire
(SFQ).
Results
Correlations of scores between questionnaires were all significant (P<.01) and ranged from .43 (between the NHP energy category and the PPL fatigue item)
to .68 (between the PPL fatigue item and the SFQ). Scores on the second visit, normalized
to a 0 to 100 scale, were: FSS, 78±15; NHP energy category, 47±35; PPL fatigue item,
81±17; and SFQ, 65±22. Except for the difference between the FSS and the PPL fatigue
item, the differences in scores between the questionnaires were significant (P<.01). Scale analysis indicated that all questionnaires measured the same unidimensional
construct. The reproducibility of the FSS, the PPL fatigue item, and the SFQ was moderate.
The smallest detectable change was 1.5 points for the FSS, 2.0 points for the PPL
fatigue item, and 1.9 points for the SFQ.
Conclusions
Although the questionnaires measure the same fatigue construct in PPS, the results
are not interchangeable because the ranges of measurement differ. The NHP energy category,
in particular, appeared to have a high detection threshold. The moderate reproducibility
of the questionnaires indicates a lack of precision, especially when applied at the
individual patient level.
Keywords
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Article info
Footnotes
☆Supported by the Prinses Beatrix Fonds (grant no. MAR98-0112).
Identification
Copyright
© 2004 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
