Characteristics of children with CFS/ME identified through school project (school CFS/ME) compared with those with CFS/ME referred to a specialist CFS/ME service (service CFS/ME)
| School CFS/ME | Service CFS/ME | Mean difference (95% CI) | p Value | |||
| N | N | |||||
| Age (years), mean (SD) | 23 | 14.6 (1.5) | 604 | 14.3 (2.8) | −0.38 (−1.5 to 0.8) | 0.53 |
| Female, n (%) | 23 | 17 (74) | 607 | 422 (69.5) | 0.20 | |
| Fatigue score, mean (SD) | 22 | 20 (5.7) | 541 | 24.4 (5.1) | 4.4 (2.2 to 6.6) | <0.001 |
| Pain score, mean (SD) | 16 | 37.4 (29.4) | 503 | 46.9 (29.7) | 9.5 (−5.3 to 24.3) | 0.21 |
| SF36, mean (SD) | 22 | 25.5 (3.9) | 526 | 19.8 (5.2) | −5.7 (−7.9 to −3.5) | <0.001 |
| Number of symptoms, mean (SD) | 22 | 6.6 (2.2) | 582 | 8.5 (2.5) | 1.86 (0.80 to 2.93) | <0.001 |
| Depression (HADS), mean (SD) | 23 | 6.7 (2.2) | 399 | 7.3 (3.7) | 0.6 (−0.9 to 2.16) | 0.43 |
| Anxiety (HADS), mean (SD) | 23 | 9.4 (4.0) | 400 | 8.4 (4.3) | −1.0 (−2.8 to 0.78) | 0.27 |
| Anxiety (SCAS), mean (SD) | 22 | 35.2 (20.1) | 471 | 29.3 (17.8) | −6.0 (−13.6 to 1.7) | 0.13 |
| % School attendance, mean (SD) | 23 | 65.9 (28.7) | 569 | 38.6 (36.1) | −27.3 (−42.6 to −12.01) | <0.001 |
| Time to assessment (months), mean (SD) | 21 | 22.5 (18.3) | 590 | 25.3 (25.3) | 2.7 (−8.2 to 13.7) | 0.62 |
CFS/ME, chronic fatigue syndrome; HADS, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; SCAS, Spence Children's Anxiety Scale.