Obesity in adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome: an observational study

• Published in: Archives of disease in childhood 2017-01, Vol.102 (1), p.35-39
• Main Authors: Norris, T, Hawton, K, Hamilton-Shield, J, Crawley, E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescents; Age; ALSPAC; Body Mass Index; Cardiovascular disease; Care and treatment; CFS/ME; Child development; Children & youth; Chronic fatigue syndrome; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diagnosis; Dictionaries; Encephalomyelitis; Exercise; Fatigue; Fatigue (Biology); Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic - complications; Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic - epidemiology; Female; Health aspects; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Metabolism; Mothers; Obesity; Observational; Observational studies; Original; Original article; Pediatric Obesity - complications; Pediatric Obesity - epidemiology; Prevalence; Questionnaires; Standard scores; Teenagers; United Kingdom - epidemiology; Youth
• ISSN: 0003-9888; 1468-2044
• DOI: 10.1136/archdischild-2016-311293

ObjectiveIdentify the prevalence of obesity in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) compared with healthy adolescents, and those identified with CFS in a population cohort.DesignCross-sectional analysis of multiple imputed data.SettingData from UK paediatric CFS/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) services compared with data collected at two time points in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC).Patients1685 adolescents who attended a CFS/ME specialist service between 2004 and 2014 and 13 978 adolescents aged approximately 13 years and 16 years participating in the ALSPAC study.Main outcome measuresBody mass index (BMI) (kg/m2), sex-specific and age-specific BMI Z-scores (relative to the International Obesity Task Force cut-offs) and prevalence of obesity (%).ResultsAdolescents who had attended specialist CFS/ME services had a higher prevalence of obesity (age 13 years: 9.28%; age 16 years: 16.43%) compared with both adolescents classified as CFS/ME in ALSPAC (age 13 years: 3.72%; age 16 years: 5.46%) and those non-CFS in ALSPAC (age 13 years: 4.18%; age 16 years: 4.46%). The increased odds of obesity in those who attended specialist services (relative to non-CFS in ALSPAC) was apparent at both 13 years (OR: 2.31 (1.54 to 3.48)) and 16 years, with a greater likelihood observed at 16 years (OR: 4.07 (2.04 to 8.11)).ConclusionsWe observed an increased prevalence of obesity in adolescents who were affected severely enough to be referred to a specialist CFS/ME service. Further longitudinal research is required in order to identify the temporal relationship between the two conditions.