ABSTRACT
Objective
Examine group differences among women and men United States Veterans with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and chronic pain (CP).
Method
Administrative data from the VA Corporate Data Warehouse were derived from a cohort that met criteria for CP in 2018. Differences across sociodemographic characteristics, psychiatric comorbidities, and pain-related healthcare utilization were examined. Analyses included group comparisons (chi-square tests for independence or independent samples t-tests) and effect size differences (Cohen’s d or Cramer’s V).
Results
The period prevalence for comorbid CFS and CP was greater among women Veterans (1.20% vs. 0.61%). Women Veterans with CFS and CP were younger (d = 0.80), more likely to be Black, and less likely to be White (V = 0.13). Women Veterans with CFS and CP were more likely to have fibromyalgia (V = 0.23), headache (V = 0.24), or urogenital, pelvic, and menstrual pain (V = 0.14), and less likely to have neuropathy relative to men; they were also more likely to have depression (V = 0.15) or anxiety (V = 0.13).
Conclusions
Comorbid CFS and CP are more prevalent among women Veterans relative to men. Group differences in pain clusters and psychiatric comorbidities may have implications for clinical offerings to women Veterans with these conditions.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Research involving human participants and/or animals
For this type of study formal consent is not required. This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors. The current study was approved by the University of Iowa Institutional Review Board with a waiver of informed consent. The study was approved by the Iowa City Veterans Administration Research and Development Committee.
Additional information
Funding
Notes on contributors
Jenna L. Adamowicz
Jenna Adamowicz is a graduate student in the Clinical Science program at the University of Iowa and a doctoral intern at VA Connecticut.
Emily B. K. Thomas
Emily Thomas is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of Iowa.
Brian C. Lund
Brian Lund is a Core Investigator with CADRE at the Iowa City VA.
Mary A. Driscoll
Mary Driscoll is a Clinical Research Psychologist with PRIME at VA Connecticut and an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine.
Katherine Hadlandsmyth
Katherine Hadlandsmyth is an Investigator with CADRE and VRHRC at the Iowa City VA and an Associate Professor of Anesthesia and Psychiatry and Psychology at the University of Iowa.