Most Youth With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Undiagnosed

Racial disparity seen with higher prevalence and more undiagnosed cases in minorities
girl being examined
girl being examined

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 19, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) remains largely undiagnosed in youth, according to a study published online Jan. 23 in the Child & Youth Care Forum.

Leonard A. Jason, Ph.D., from DePaul University in Chicago, and colleagues assessed the prevalence of pediatric ME/CFS from an ethnically and sociodemographically diverse community-based random sample of 10,119 youth (aged 5 to 17 years) from 5,622 households.

The researchers found that the prevalence of pediatric ME/CFS was 0.75 percent. A higher percentage of those diagnosed were African-American and Latinx versus Caucasian. Of the youth diagnosed with ME/CFS based on the screening, less than 5 percent had been previously diagnosed. African-American and Latinx youth were twice as likely to have undiagnosed ME/CFS.

"Our finding that most youth with ME/CFS have not been previously diagnosed is comparable to findings in adults," a coauthor said in a statement. "We definitely need better ways to identify people with this illness and to develop effective interventions for them."

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