Prevalence of Fatigue and Perceived Fatigability in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Fatigue is a common health complaint in older adults, but its prevalence varies widely among studies due to differences in populations and assessment tools. The object of this review is to systematically evaluate the prevalence of fatigue and perceived fatigability in older adults. Four major public databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science (WoS), and Cochran Library) were searched for eligible studies on the prevalence of fatigue and perceived fatigability in older adults from January 1, 2000 to December 27, 2023. Cochrane Q tests and the I ² statistic were used to assess between-study heterogeneity via Stata16.0. A total of 21 studies involving 17843 participants were included in this study. The prevalence of fatigue in older adults was 42.6%, and the prevalence of perceived physical fatigability and mental fatigability was 58.2% and 24.0%. Meta-analysis showed that the prevalence of perceived physical fatigability among older adults was very high, which varied with regional economic development level, age of the subjects, sample size and representativeness of the subjects. Fatigue is a health dilemma faced by most older adults. To improve quality of life, early and regular fatigue assessment should be part of routine health screening for older adults.