How common is fatigue across chronic health conditions in children and young people? A systematic review

Fatigue is a common experience for adults with chronic health conditions. Less is understood about the prevalence of fatigue in the paediatric population. This review aimed to synthesise what is known about the point prevalence of fatigue across chronic health conditions within children and young people. Three databases were searched, from January 2000 to July 2021, to identify studies reporting prevalence rates in chronic health conditions in under 18s. Methodological quality was assessed with a modified version of the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for Cross-Sectional Studies. Twenty-five studies were included. Variations in the assessment of fatigue, across a range of conditions, and heterogenous reporting of prevalence precluded meaningful meta-analysis and so narrative synthesis was completed. Discrepancies in prevalence reports were noted within and across conditions and between child and parent reports but showed fatigue to be more prevalent in those with chronic health conditions compared to healthy peers. Despite discrepancy in prevalence rates of fatigue, some level of fatigue is present across chronic health conditions and tends to be higher in this population compared to healthy peers. Limitations alongside clinical implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.