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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

Department of Human Physiology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Division of Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy, Department of Health Sciences, Hogeschool Antwerpen, Belgium

Karen Van de Putte

Department of Human Physiology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel,Belgium

Fred Louckx

Department of Medical Sociology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel Belgium

Kenny De Meirleir

Department of Human Physiology,Chronic Fatigue Clinic, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium

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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