Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics of subjective symptoms of fatigue (SSF) in high school and college students from the viewpoints of age, subjective feelings of fatigue and an association with daily activity conditions.
Methods: A questionnaire consisting of 54 items on SSF, including feelings of subjective feelings of fatigue, type of fatigue and daily activity conditions was administered to male students aged 15-20 yrs. Data from 1972 subjects, responding to the questionnaire were used for statistical analysis.
Results: A Cronbach alpha coefficient of 0.97 indicated the reliability of the SSF items. In analyzing the results for frequency and means of SSF items, it was determined that complaints regarding drowsiness were very high compared to other SSF factors and the degree of mental fatigue symptoms is lower in the higher age-groups. Most students had subjective feelings of fatigue, which related closely to SSF regarding languor and drowsiness. It was considered that daily activity conditions regarding sleep are important to improving chronic fatigue because students with stronger subjective feelings of fatigue tend to have complaints about living conditions such as sleeplessness at night, waking in the morning, and physical condition during the day.
Conclusion: It is characteristic of SSF in young men that complaints of drowsiness are relatively high and most of the students have subjective feelings of fatigue. It is considered that improving the activities of daily living factors that produce drowsiness is important.