The Prevalence of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in Nigeria, Njoku, Torres-Harding and Jason, 2007

The present study found adult rates of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) in Nigeria that were somewhat higher than rates from community-based CFS epidemiologic studies in the USA. The rates of chronic fatigue for both adults and children were also higher than in existing community-based studies.

It is possible that the presence of several fatiguing illnesses such as malaria and typhoid, the lack of adequate healthcare resources and poverty in Nigeria, place individuals at greater risk for fatigue and its syndromes.

There is a need for more epidemiologic studies on the prevalence and sociodemographic characteristics of CFS in developing countries.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1359105307076233

Free access: https://www.researchgate.net/profil...rome-in-Nigeria.pdf?origin=publication_detail

 

The authors aimed to screen 1500 adult participants in five different areas of the Enugu municipality, totaling 55000 residents, and were able to obtain 1087 (72%) responses.

They used Jason’s CFS screening questionnaire (to assess Fukuda symptoms) the General Health Questionnaire (12 items, psychological and somatic), the Chalder fatigue scale and the DSM-IV structured clinical interview. For pediatric CFS, they also used Bell’s pediatric screening questionnaire.

Interestingly, the respondents were young (mean 32 years old). This might reflect the demographics of the Nigerian population. 57% of the respondents were women.

Among the respondents, they found that:

- 67 (6.16%) had prolonged fatigue, lasting from one to five months
- 108 (9.48%) had chronic fatigue, lasting six months or longer
- 14 (1.3%) had a CFS-like illness, i.e. chronic fatigue as well as four or more Fukuda criteria symptoms
- 3 (0.68%) met CFS criteria.

To screen for pediatric CFS, they asked the respondents if their children had “constantly or repeatedly during the past six months a lack of energy or missing activities due to being too tired or sick”. Out of 249 reports, they found that 37 (15%) had chronic fatigue and 3 (2.4%) had CFS-like illness. It seems that none of them met CFS criteria.

 

Good because it rebuts the notion that people in developing countries don't have complex chronic diseases.

BPS say things like, "If these people were in Africa they'd have to work and get over it" or "If they just took a nice vacation they'd forget about being sick." (Never mind that those seem mutually exclusive)

These BPS misconceptions are so wrong and devastating.