Abstract
Review of the literature indicated the lack of disease specific measures for assessing activity limitations and participation restriction in patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Retrospective analysis of Karnofsky Performance Status questionnaires and Activities of Daily Living questionnaires (a Dutch version of the Barthel index, modified for CFS) of 141 subjects was performed to create a new questionnaire. Data analysis resulted in the following item selection, based on most frequently reported activity limitations and participation restriction; cleaning, washing dishes and returning them to cupboard, iron, do the wash, gardening, replace light bulb, walking, climb one flight of stairs, stand one hour, sit two hours, doing groceries, thirty minutes of computer work, carrying heavy objects, write a full page letter, use a screwdriver, hammer a nail, make one bed, reading, social activities, doing sports, studying, driving a car, going to school/working, preparing meals and caring for a child. These data were used to create the CFS-Activities and Participation Questionnaire (CFS-APQ). The reliability and different aspects of validity of this new measure still need to be established.