Multicenter Evaluation of the First Validated German-Language Fatigue Questionnaire for Patients with Chronic Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

Background: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) often suffer from extra-intestinal manifestations in addition to intestinal symptoms. One of these is fatigue. Fatigue is described as persistent tiredness with episodes of sudden energy loss, which cannot be relieved by rest or sleep and has a huge impact on quality of life. The aim of this study is to identify possible risk and influencing factors for the development of fatigue in IBD. Methods: For this purpose, a questionnaire survey was conducted at two German university outpatient clinics for IBD (n = 164). Based on this, the frequency and impact of fatigue on daily life was assessed and analyzed in relation to various health parameters such as patient gender, age, disease activity, and laboratory parameters. Results: Of the 164 patients, 86 were men (52.4%) and 78 were women (47.6%). A total of 75 (45.7%) patients had ulcerative colitis, 84 (51.2%) suffered from Crohn’s disease, and 5 (3.0%) had IBD-unclassified. A total of 17 out of the 164 (10.4%) patients denied that fatigue had affected their daily activities in the past two weeks. None of the examined health parameters had a significant impact on fatigue. Conclusions: Fatigue is a common syndrome in IBD patients and affects their daily activities and quality of life. The results of the present study emphasize the need for further research for a better scientific understanding of fatigue in IBD.