The Swedish version of the Multidimensional Assessment of Fatigue (MAF) in systemic sclerosis: reproducibility and correlations to other fatigue instruments.

摘要

Fatigue is a common and disabling symptom in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). Up to 61% of SSc patients experience fatigue as one of the three most distressing symptoms (1). The consequences on patients' quality of life (QoL) and work ability are far-ranging (2, 3), emphasizing the importance of the assessment of fatigue in SSc. The Multidimensional Assessment of Fatigue (MAF) is an instrument specifically adapted from the items of the Piper Fatigue Scale (PFS) for use in rheumatoid arthritis (4). The instrument measures four dimensions of fatigue: severity, distress, degree of interference in activities of daily living (ADL), and timing. The global index of the MAF is calculated by summing the total scores from the fatigue severity and distress subscales, the average score of the degree of interference in ADL, and one timing item. The MAF global index score ranges from 5 to 50, with higher scores reflecting greater fatigue.