Assessing psychometric challenges and fatigue during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Environmental hazards and/or pandemics may push humans to use different protective methods to maintain their well-being. This study aimed to identify populations vulnerable to psychometric challenges and fatigue during the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Kazakhstan. A total of 1,592 participants were recruited and asked to complete the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory-20 (MFI-20). Participants were classified according to gender and age. Data were analyzed using the Chi-square test (x2) and MedCalc to detect the odds of MFI-scales with a score ≥12 in women compared to men. Young women had significantly higher odds (OR) of reduced activity (OR 2.4, p<0.0001), physical (OR 2.5, p<0.0001), and mental fatigue (OR 3.4, p<0.0001) than young men. Middle-aged women had significantly higher odds of general fatigue (OR 2.1; p<0.0001), reduced motivation (OR 2.1, p<0.0001), physical (OR 2.1, p<0.0001), and mental fatigue (OR 1.9, p<0.0001) than did middle-aged men. Elderly women had significantly higher odds of general fatigue (OR 3.6, p<0.0001), reduced motivation (OR 3.5, p<0.0001), and physical fatigue (OR 3.5, p<0.0001) than men in the same age category. The study highlights that women were more susceptible, with significantly increased odds of experiencing various aspects of fatigue syndrome compared to men during the COVID-19 pandemic in Kazakhstan. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate individual behavioral changes to help identify vulnerable populations and provide relevant evidence for developing protocols and guidelines during pandemics and/or outbreaks.

Keywords: Covid-19; Covid-19: Coronavirus Disease-19; GF: General fatigue; KMU: Karaganda Medical University; MF: Mental fatigue; MFI-20: Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory-20; OR: Odds ratio; PhF: Physical fatigue; RA: Reduced activity; RM: Reduced motivation; SARS: Severe acute respiratory syndrome; WHO: World Health Organization; fatigue syndrome; pandemic; psychometric; χ2: Chi-square test.

Figure 1

MFI-scales (score ≥12) among young women compared to men *: Significantly different percentages between women and men with scores ≥12 on the RA, PhF, and MF scales of the MFI, indicating the diagnosis of fatigue syndrome. GF: General fatigue. MF: Mental fatigue. MFI: Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory. PhF: Physical fatigue. RA: Reduced activity. RM: Reduced motivation.

Figure 2

MFI-scales (score ≥12) among middle-aged women compared to middle-aged men *: Significantly different percentages between women and men with scores ≥12 on the GF, RM, PhF and MF scales of the MFI, indicating the diagnosis of fatigue syndrome. GF: General fatigue. MF: Mental fatigue. MFI: Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory. PhF: Physical fatigue. RA: Reduced activity. RM: Reduced motivation.

Figure 3

MFI-scales (score ≥12) among elderly women compared to men *: Significantly different percentages between women and men with scores ≥12 on the GF, RM and PhF scales of the MFI, indicating the diagnosis of fatigue syndrome. GF: General fatigue. MF: Mental fatigue. MFI: Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory. PhF: Physical fatigue. RA: Reduced activity. RM: Reduced motivation.