Epidemiology of restricting fatigue in older adults: The precipitating events project

Abstract

Objectives: To estimate the rate of restricting fatigue in community-living older adults and to determine whether the rates differ according to age, sex, race, physical frailty, and depression. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: Greater New Haven, Connecticut. Participants: Nondisabled community-living older men and women aged 70 and older (N = 754). Measurements: Restricting fatigue was defined as staying in bed for at least half the day and/or cutting down on one's usual activities because of fatigue for 3 consecutive months or longer. Physical frailty was defined on the basis of slow gait speed, and depression was assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Results: During a median follow-up of 111 months, the cumulative incidence of restricting fatigue was 31.1% for men and 42.1% for women. The overall incidence rate of restricting fatigue was 6.7 per 1,000 person-months (7.8 for women and 4.4 for men, P