Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2018 Jan-Feb;39(1):39-47.
doi: 10.1016/j.gerinurse.2017.05.014. Epub 2017 Jun 27.

Evaluation of fatigability measurement: Integrative review

Inah Kim  1 , Eileen Hacker  2 , Carol Estwing Ferrans  3 , Craig Horswill  4 , Chang Park  3 , Mary Kapella  3
Affiliations
Review

Evaluation of fatigability measurement: Integrative review

Inah Kim et al. Geriatr Nurs. 2018 Jan-Feb.

Abstract

Fatigability is defined as the extent of fatigue in the context of activity and differs from the term used in exercise literature to describe muscle endurance characteristics. Many fatigability measures are available, but no studies have thoroughly evaluated them for adequate incorporation of fatigability concepts. This integrative review provides an overall assessment of existing fatigability measures and then evaluates each in depth. A database search and hand search produced 14 studies for review. Fatigability measurement took three forms: self-reported fatigability, perceived fatigability (self-reported fatigue following a defined performance test), and performance fatigability (performance deterioration). Of 17 measures identified, validity and/or reliability was reported for six (35.3%), and no measure was used in more than one study. Fatigability measures have been correlated with clinical measures, indicating that fatigability should be measured during routine clinical health screening. Refinement of measures and additional fatigability data collection will improve understanding and treatment of fatigue.

Keywords: Fatigability; Fatigue; Physical activity.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Flowchart of search and selection strategy.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Eldadah BA. Fatigue and fatigability in older adults. PM R. 2010;2(5):406–413. 10.1016/j.pmrj.2010.03.022. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Moreh E, Jacobs JM, Stessman J. Fatigue, function, and mortality in older adults. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2010;65(8):887–895. 10.1093/gerona/glq064. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Simonsick EM, Schrack JA, Glynn NW, Ferrucci L. Assessing fatigability in mobility-intact older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2014;62(2):347–351. 10.1111/jgs.12638. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Glynn NW, Santanasto AJ, Simonsick EM, et al. The pittsburgh fatigability scale for older adults: development and validation. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2015;63(1):130–135. 10.1111/jgs.13191. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Santanasto AJ, Glynn NW, Jubrias SA, et al. Skeletal muscle mitochondrial function and fatigability in older adults. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2014, doi:glu134 [pii]. - PMC - PubMed