SHORT REPORT
Prevalence of chronic fatigue syndrome-like caseness in the working
population: results from the Maastricht cohort study

Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2004;61:464-466

M J H Huibers [1], IJ Kant [2], G M H Swaen [2] and S V Kasl [3]

Affiliations:
[1] Department of Medical, Clinical & Experimental Psychology, Maastricht
University, Netherlands
[2] Department of Epidemiology, Maastricht University, Netherlands
[3] Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale University School
of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA

Correspondence to:
Dr M J H Huibers, Department of Medical, Clinical & Experimental
Psychology, Maastricht University, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht,
Netherlands; mailto:marcus.huibers@hag.unimaas.nl


ABSTRACT
Aim: To determine the prevalence of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)-like
caseness in the working population.

Methods: Using data from the prospective Maastricht Cohort Study on
Fatigue at Work, the prevalence and incidence of CFS-like cases
(employees meeting research criteria for CFS) were determined among 5499
employees who responded to the follow up assessment 3 years and 8 months
after baseline.

Results: Of the 5499 employees, 199 (3.6%) were identified as CFS-like
cases. By deleting possible CFS-like cases at baseline, the annual
incidence of CFS-like caseness was estimated to be 85 per 10 000. Twenty
employees (0.36%) reported having been diagnosed with CFS by a physician.


Conclusions: The prevalence of CFS-like cases (3.6%) was considerably
higher than the prevalence of CFS reported in previous studies
(0.006-3%). These findings suggest that the CFS-like caseness may be
underdetected in the working population and perhaps in other populations
as well.


Keywords: prevalence; working population; chronic fatigue syndrome

© 2004 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd