The cost of healthcare.Economic uncertainties.
Fears of AI-associated end times.It’s enough to exhaust anyone.About 71.5% of adults in the United States say they experienced fatigue on multiple days over the past three months, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
Women and younger adults are more likely to report frequent fatigue, meaning most days or every day, than men are.Sociologist Natalie A.E.Young, lead author of the report, said fatigue is “one of the most frequently reported health concerns in primary care visits in the U.S.” It’s the first study about general fatigue from NCHS, which surveyed about 27,000 adults ages 18 and older in 2024 about their health and daily lives.People with fatigue “are at higher risk of activity limitations and disability, including permanent work disability.
Yet there hadn’t been much attention to the frequency of general fatigue symptoms in the U.S.adult population,” Young said.Fatigue isn’t ordinary sleepiness.
It’s “physical or mental tiredness or exhaustion that does not improve with additional sleep or rest,” the researchers said.General fatigue, which is different from chronic fatigue syndrome, can be a symptom of other health problems or a side effect of medication.Fatigue is often connected to other health problems, difficulty concentrating and limited social activities.
People with symptoms of frequent fatigue were more likely to experience “co-occurring functioning difficulties,” including cognitive difficulties, depression and anxiety, said Young.“So it’s not just that fatigue is common,” she said.“It’s that fatigue is common and those with fatigue are facing limitations in their daily lives.” Adults who experienced frequent fatigue were more than three times as likely to have symptoms of depression and about twice as likely to report cognitive difficulties or symptoms of anxiety, com...