CFS-APQ : Abstract By Nijs J, Vaes
P, De Meirleir K
Abstract: The Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Activities and Participation
Questionnaire (CFS-APQ): an overview
Occup Ther Int. 2005;12(2):107-21
Nijs J, Vaes P, De Meirleir K.
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy,
Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium. Jo.Nijs@vub.ac.be
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is characterized by severe fatigue
and a reduction in activity levels. The purpose of this study was
to provide an overview of design, reliability, and validity of the
CFS Activities and Participation Questionnaire (CFS-APQ).
The CFS-APQ was constructed based on a retrospective analysis of
the Karnofsky Performance Status Questionnaire and the Activities
of Daily Living Questionnaire (n = 141).
In a reliability study of 34 participants the test-retest reliability
coefficient of the CFS-APQ was 0.95.
In two different studies, the Cronbach alpha coefficient for internal
consistency varied between 0.87 (n = 88) and 0.94 (n = 47).
The CFS-APQ was administered to 47 patients who listed 183 activities
that had become difficult due to their chronic symptoms, and 157
(85.8%) answers matched the content of the CFS-APQ.
The outcome of a cross-sectional study (n = 88) studying the correlations
between the Medical Outcomes Short Form 36 Health Status Survey
subscale scores and the CFS-APQ supported the validity of the CFS-APQ.
The CFS-APQ scores correlated with a behavioural assessment of
the patients' performance of activities encompassed by the questionnaire
(r = 0.29-0.55; n = 63), and correlated with exercise capacity parameters
(r = 0.26-0.39; n = 77) obtained during a maximal exercise capacity
Finally, the CFS-APQ correlated with visual analogue scales for
pain (r = 0.51) and fatigue (r = 0.50; n = 47).
It is concluded that the CFS-APQ generates reliable and valid data,
and can be used as a clinical measure of disease severity in patients
with CFS. Future studies should aim at examining the sensitivity
of the CFS-APQ.
Source: Occup Ther Int. 2005;12(2):107-21 - PMID:
16136868 [PubMed - in process]
Category: CFS-APQ , Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
, CFS Activities and Participation Questionnaire , Nijs , Vaes,
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