AHMF: 98 Conference: Posner

Functional Impairment in a CFS Group Membership

N Posner, R Madl, V. Siskind.

Department of Social and Preventative Medicine
University of Queeensland
Australia

The impact that the condition of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) has on individual lives, and its implications in terms of public health and services, depends on the degree of functional impairment experienced.

The SF36 health status survey was included in a questionnaire sent to the entire membership of the Queensland ME/GFS Society in 1997.Among the 530 responders, 91% had received a diagnosis of ME/CFS.

This presentation reports on the SF36 scores for this sample. The means for each of the eight dimensions were found to be markedly lower than the population norms, with the differences being least for the role limitation (emotional) and the mental health dimensions.

The greatest difference was in the role limitation (physical) mean scores of 12.9 (our sample) and 79.6 (1995 National Health Survey Queensland).

The pattern of impairment found was in line with recently published studies among people with CFS in the USA. The results indicate a very significant degree of functional impairment in this population.