Causes and consequences of chronic fatigue in childhood cancer survivors: a SEM analysis

The study investigates possible causal factors for chronic fatigue (CV) in childhood cancer survivors, using structural equation modeling (SEM), which is a mathematical model that can be applied to cross-sectional data. CV is a common problem in childhood cancer survivors and has a major impact on quality of life. Better understanding CV may help develop targeted interventions or preventive measures/education. The authors analyzed data from 1927 adult childhood cancer survivors, with a mean age of 35 years. Of them, 23.6% reported chronic fatigue.

Key findings at a glance:

• Gender may have a causal influence on CV, with women more likely to suffer from fatigue.
• CV causes feelings of helplessness, less physical activity, more pain, higher BMI and sleep problems.
• The relationship between CV and depression is two-way, meaning they may be mutually influencing each other. This is also true for anxiety, self-esteem and social interaction, but insufficient statistical certainty was found for these.

The results show that CV is a complex problem with multiple causes and consequences. The findings may contribute to more targeted interventions, for example, physical training or psychosocial support such as cognitive behavioral therapy, to reduce the impact of CV in childhood cancer survivors.

Read the article here: Structural equation modeling to explore putative causal factors for chronic fatigue in childhood cancer survivors: a DCCSS LATER study | Journal of Cancer Survivorship