Fatigue severity in World Trade Center (9/11) responders: a preliminary study

Title
Fatigue severity in World Trade Center (9/11) responders: a preliminary study
Publication Date
2016
Author(s)
Friedberg, Fred
Adamowicz, Jenna L
Caikauskaite, Indre
Napoli, Anthony
Shapira, Oren
Hobbs, Megan
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0131-0089
Email: megan.hobbs@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:mhobbs8
Bromet, Evelyn
Kotov, Roman
Gonzalez, Adam
Clouston, Sean
Luft, Benjamin
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Routledge
Place of publication
United States of America
DOI
10.1080/21641846.2016.1169726
UNE publication id
une:1959.11/28752
Abstract
Purpose: To assess fatigue severity in World Trade Center (9/11) responders 13 years later. Methods: The participant pool consisted of male 9/11 responders enrolled in the Stony Brook World Trade Center Health Program (WTC-HP), one of five centers of excellence established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fatigue severity was assessed with the Fatigue Severity Scale. WTC-related medical conditions were certified by a physician and diagnoses of 9/11-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) were determined with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID). Results: High fatigue severity was reported by 20.8% of the sample (N=1079) and was significantly associated with PTSD, major depressive disorder, sleep apnea, gastro-esophageal reflux disease, upper respiratory disease, and lower respiratory disease. These associations remained significant for PTSD, major depressive disorder and lower respiratory disease when adjusted for medications, age and BMI. Only 17.3% of the high fatigue subgroup did not have an identified medical or psychiatric diagnosis. Fewer fatigued (21.1%) than non-fatigued (72.0%) responders rated their physical health as ‘good’ or ‘very good.’ Also fewer fatigued (33.9%) than non-fatigued (54.1%) responders were employed full-time (p<.0001). Conclusions: This study found clinically elevated fatigue in a high percentage of a male WTC responder cohort that prior to 9/11/2001 would be considered a ‘healthy worker cohort.’ To better understand the pathophysiology of fatigue, newer methodologies such as symptom provocation (e.g. exercise) designs may be useful.
Link
Citation
Fatigue: Biomedicine, Health & Behavior, 4(2), p. 70-79
ISSN
2164-1862
2164-1846
Start page
70
End page
79

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