Abstract:
BACKGROUND:Syndromes for which no physical or pathological changes can be found tend to be researched and managed in isolation although hypotheses suggest that they may be one entity. The objectives of our study were to investigate the co-occurrence, in the general population, of syndromes that are frequently unexplained and to evaluate whether they have common associated factors. METHODS:We conducted a population-based cross-sectional survey that included 2,299 subjects who were registered with a General Medical Practice in North-west England and who completed full postal questionnaires (response rate 72%). The study investigated four chronic syndromes that are frequently unexplained: chronic widespread pain, chronic oro-facial pain, irritable bowel syndrome, and chronic fatigue. Validated instruments were used to measure the occurrence of syndromes and to collect information on a variety of associated factors: demographic (age, gender), psychosocial (anxiety, depression, illness behaviour), life stressors, and reporting of somatic symptoms. RESULTS:We found that 587 subjects (27%) reported one or more syndromes: 404 (18%) reported one, 134 (6%) reported two, 34 (2%) reported three, and 15 (1%) reported all four syndromes. The occurrence of multiple syndromes was greater than would be expected by chance (P < 0.001). There were factors that were common across syndromes: female gender [odds ratio (OR) = 1.8; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.5-2.2], high levels of aspects of health anxiety like health worry preoccupation (OR = 3.5; 95% CI 2.8-4.4) and reassurance seeking behaviour (OR = 1.4; 95% CI 1.1-1.7), reporting of other somatic symptoms (OR = 3.6; 95% CI 2.9-4.4), and reporting of recent adverse life events (OR = 2.3; 95% CI 1.9-2.8). CONCLUSION:This study has shown that chronic syndromes that are frequently unexplained co-occur in the general population and share common associated factors. Primary care practitioners need to be aware of these characteristics so that management is appropriate at the outset.
journal_name
Int J Epidemioljournal_title
International journal of epidemiologyauthors
Aggarwal VR,McBeth J,Zakrzewska JM,Lunt M,Macfarlane GJdoi
10.1093/ije/dyi265keywords:
subject
Has Abstractpub_date
2006-04-01 00:00:00pages
468-76issue
2eissn
0300-5771issn
1464-3685pii
dyi265journal_volume
35pub_type
杂志文章abstract:OBJECTIVES:To assess whether the offspring of UK veterans of the first Gulf war are at increased risk of fetal death or congenital malformation. METHOD:This was a retrospective reproductive cohort study of UK Gulf war veterans and a demographically similar comparison group who were in service at the time but were not ...
journal_title:International journal of epidemiology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1093/ije/dyh049
更新日期:2004-02-01 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Several studies have been conducted to estimate the population prevalence of hypertension, or its diagnosis and treatment. There is no multinationally comparable information on the prevalence of hypercholesterolaemia, or its diagnosis and treatment, since individual studies are often not directly comparable....
journal_title:International journal of epidemiology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1093/ije/dyi056
更新日期:2005-02-01 00:00:00
abstract:Background:In order to support health service organizations in arranging a system for prevention of road traffic collisions (RTC), it is important to study the usefulness of sleep assessment tools. A cohort study was used to evaluate the effectiveness of subjective and objective sleep assessment tools to assess for the...
journal_title:International journal of epidemiology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1093/ije/dyw141
更新日期:2017-02-01 00:00:00
abstract:Background:Many interventions delivered to improve health may benefit not only direct recipients but also people in close physical or social proximity. Our objective was to review all published literature about the spillover effects of interventions on health outcomes in low-middle income countries and to identify meth...
journal_title:International journal of epidemiology
pub_type: 杂志文章,评审
doi:10.1093/ije/dyx039
更新日期:2017-08-01 00:00:00
abstract::Theoretical considerations concerning the use of other cancer patients as controls in cancer case-control studies are reviewed. Selection bias may be a problem in that some other cancers may be caused by the exposure under study biasing the odds ratio towards unity. Such bias is noted to be greatest with low prevalenc...
journal_title:International journal of epidemiology
pub_type: 杂志文章,评审
doi:10.1093/ije/17.2.298
更新日期:1988-06-01 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Predictions of primary liver cancer (PLC) incidence rates and case numbers are critical to understand and plan for PLC disease burden. METHODS:Data on PLC incidence rates and case numbers from 1990 to 2017 were retrieved from the Global Burden of Disease database. The estimated average percentage change (EA...
journal_title:International journal of epidemiology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1093/ije/dyaa196
更新日期:2020-12-08 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Mortality from smoking-related diseases in women is increasing worldwide. Studies comparing hazards associated with smoking in women and men based on a sufficient number of heavy smokers of both genders are lacking. METHODS:We used pooled data from three prospective population studies conducted in Copenhage...
journal_title:International journal of epidemiology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1093/ije/27.1.27
更新日期:1998-02-01 00:00:00
abstract::The completeness of cancer registration in the IKL (Integraal Kankercentrum Limburg) cancer registry, Limburg, the Netherlands, was evaluated for the years 1988-1990 by means of the independent case ascertainment method. This study was performed in co-operation with the Registration Network of Family Practices (RNFP) ...
journal_title:International journal of epidemiology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1093/ije/22.3.369
更新日期:1993-06-01 00:00:00
abstract::The role of the major identified risk factors for breast cancer was assessed using data from a hospital-based case-control study conducted in Northern Italy on 1108 women with histologically confirmed breast cancer and 1281 control subjects with a spectrum of acute conditions unrelated to any of the established or pot...
journal_title:International journal of epidemiology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1093/ije/16.3.347
更新日期:1987-09-01 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Although the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) cluster survey methodology has been successfully used for assessing levels of immunization programme coverage in developing country settings, certain features of the methodology, as it is usually carried out, make it less-than-optimal choice for large, na...
journal_title:International journal of epidemiology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1093/ije/25.1.198
更新日期:1996-02-01 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:The aim of this research was to determine the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carrier prevalence among cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and the population attributable risk of HBsAg carriage for HCC, by ethnicity in New Zealand. METHODS:The hospital notes of HCC cases registered with the New Zea...
journal_title:International journal of epidemiology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1093/ije/28.2.204
更新日期:1999-04-01 00:00:00
abstract::A person to person outbreak of hepatitis A is described: 90 cases of hepatitis A occurred in a small town in Calabria, southern Italy; all cases were under 18 years of age with the highest age-specific incidence rate in the 6-10 year age group. Transmission was identified by tracing close contacts with other incubatin...
journal_title:International journal of epidemiology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1093/ije/15.1.108
更新日期:1986-03-01 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:In many western countries an increase in incidence of adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus and/or gastric cardia have been reported. The aim of this study was to describe and compare trends in incidence of adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus and gastric cardia in several areas of Europe, 1968-1995, using Eurocim (a...
journal_title:International journal of epidemiology
pub_type: 杂志文章,多中心研究
doi:10.1093/ije/29.4.645
更新日期:2000-08-01 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Maternal co-infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has been implicated as a potentially important co-factor for enhanced vertical transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV). In previous reports, however, methodological issues (notably small sample sizes) have limited accurate evaluation of the contri...
journal_title:International journal of epidemiology
pub_type: 杂志文章,meta分析,评审
doi:10.1093/ije/dyg107
更新日期:2003-10-01 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:This study is an attempt to apply Markov process modelling to health status switching behaviour of infants. The data for the study consist of monthly records of diagnosed illnesses for 1152 children, each observed from the month of first contact with Kasangati Health Centre, Kampala, Uganda, until age 18 mon...
journal_title:International journal of epidemiology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1093/ije/24.1.177
更新日期:1995-02-01 00:00:00
abstract::The clustering of xerophthalmia in villages and in households was assessed among preschool children surveyed in the Lower Shire Valley, Malawi, and in Aceh province, Indonesia. Trachoma clustering was similarly assessed among the same children in Malawi. Trachoma clustered much more than xerophthalmia among villages a...
journal_title:International journal of epidemiology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1093/ije/17.4.865
更新日期:1988-12-01 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Ready-made spectacles (RMS) have advantages; however, visual performance and satisfaction has not been evaluated. METHODS:A 1-month, double-masked, randomized clinical trial comparing planned continued use and visual performance of RMS to Custom Spectacles (CS) in adults aged 18-45 years with > or =1 diopte...
journal_title:International journal of epidemiology
pub_type: 杂志文章,随机对照试验
doi:10.1093/ije/dyp384
更新日期:2010-06-01 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Consultation waiting rooms and similar medical settings, either public or private, are places where children have higher probability of acquiring some infectious diseases, especially during outbreaks. METHODS:During a measles outbreak which occurred in Lisbon in 1989 a case-control study was carried out in ...
journal_title:International journal of epidemiology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1093/ije/23.4.843
更新日期:1994-08-01 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:This article examines whether the neighbourhood environment influences intermediate cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, such as obesity (body mass index [BMI]), and lifestyle factors, such as no physical activity and smoking, when adjusted for the individual socioeconomic status (SES). METHODS:The st...
journal_title:International journal of epidemiology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1093/ije/28.5.841
更新日期:1999-10-01 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:In epidemiological studies researchers often depend on proxies to obtain information when primary subjects are unavailable. However, relatively few studies have performed formal statistical inference to assess agreement among proxy informants and primary study subjects. In this paper, we consider inference p...
journal_title:International journal of epidemiology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1093/ije/29.6.1070
更新日期:2000-12-01 00:00:00
abstract::Age-standardized cancer death rates in Puerto Rican-born males and females residing in New York City have been calculated for 1979-81, and compared with those for white non-Puerto Rican-born people. For all population groups the rates in 1979-81 have been compared with rates in 1969-71. For some cancer sites, in parti...
journal_title:International journal of epidemiology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1093/ije/15.1.30
更新日期:1986-03-01 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:We reported in a recent study that parity was inversely related to the incidence of Hodgkin's disease (HD) in Norwegian women younger than 56. In this study, another data set was used to estimate the parity effects on incidence at higher ages, and two different data sets were used to assess how parity influe...
journal_title:International journal of epidemiology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1093/ije/25.4.737
更新日期:1996-08-01 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:We assessed the differential and sequential effects of a Government of India conditional cash transfer scheme for the socio-economically disadvantaged (Janani Suraksha Yojana; JSY) and the strengthening of the primary health centre (PHC) network to provide 24/7 obstetric care in promoting institutional deliv...
journal_title:International journal of epidemiology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1093/ije/dyt071
更新日期:2013-06-01 00:00:00
abstract::Many of the known or suspected risk factors of sex hormone-dependent cancers in women (low parity, delay in childbearing, etc) are typical features of modern reproductive behaviour. Within the USSR regional variations in principal reproductive characteristics and the incidence of breast and cervical cancers have been ...
journal_title:International journal of epidemiology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1093/ije/18.3.498
更新日期:1989-09-01 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:On the basis of a population-based cohort, we assessed the cancer risk, focusing on gynaecological cancers and pre-malignant lesions, among women with a previous tubal sterilization. METHODS:Using the Danish Hospital Discharge Register we identified 65 232 women who had a tubal sterilization (1977-1993). Th...
journal_title:International journal of epidemiology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1093/ije/dyh046
更新日期:2004-06-01 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Studies suggest that increased levels of physical activity might decrease the risk of prostate cancer. We ascertained lifetime measures of activity in a population-based case-control study of prostate cancer in Shanghai, China to investigate physical activity in a population where the incidence of prostate c...
journal_title:International journal of epidemiology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1093/ije/30.2.341
更新日期:2001-04-01 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:We evaluated the reproducibility and relative validity of a 190-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to be used in a large prospective study in the Athens area of Greece. METHODS:In all, 42 men and 38 women, aged 25-67 years, completed two self-administered semi-quantitative FFQ spaced ...
journal_title:International journal of epidemiology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1093/ije/26.suppl_1.s118
更新日期:1997-01-01 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:The degree to which rheumatoid arthritis (RA) influences life expectancy and mortality remains controversial. There have been few attempts to analyse death certificate data for this condition. Despite limitations, the information derived from detailed death certificate analysis for a large population over a ...
journal_title:International journal of epidemiology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1093/ije/23.3.545
更新日期:1994-06-01 00:00:00
abstract:Background:Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) has largely disappeared from high-income countries. However, in New Zealand (NZ) rates remain high in indigenous (Māori) and Pacific populations. In 2011, NZ launched an intensive and unparalleled primary Rheumatic Fever Prevention Programme (RFPP). We evaluated the impact of the ...
journal_title:International journal of epidemiology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1093/ije/dyy150
更新日期:2018-10-01 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Child mortality estimates in Beirut are presented for the late 1970s and the mid 1980s, and changes in socio-religious differentials of mortality across time are investigated. METHODS:Baseline information was obtained from maternity registries in Beirut in 1984 and 1991. Age of mother, number of children ev...
journal_title:International journal of epidemiology
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1093/ije/26.1.110
更新日期:1997-02-01 00:00:00