Age and gender characteristics of the prevalence of asthenic syndrome

The significance of the studied problem is determined by the high prevalence of asthenic syndrome, which accompanies numerous somatic and psychosomatic pathologies. It is believed that asthenia is more common among the female population, but this is apparently related to physiological processes occurring in a woman’s body.

Objective of the study: to examine the prevalence of asthenic syndrome among men and women according to age.

Material and methods. The study involved 387 respondents who were required to fill out a questionnaire based on the “Subjective Assessment Scale for Asthenia (MFI20).” The MFI-20 allows for the identification of a range of conditions in respondents: general asthenia, reduced activity, decreased motivation, physical, and mental asthenia with a total score exceeding 12 in each subscale.

Results. In the studied sample, asthenia was identified equally among both women and men. General asthenia was observed in just under half of the respondents, being more common among women (48.8%) than among men (29.1%) (p < 0.01). Reduced activity was noted in approximately one-third of respondents and was equally prevalent among men (14.9 ± 1.8) and women (15.1 ± 2.0), accounting for 29.1% and 32.9%, respectively. A decrease in the motivational sphere was observed in only 14.2% of respondents, with similar rates for both men and women, around 14%. Physical asthenia was identified in one-third of respondents (32.9%), but this condition was significantly more common among women (28.2%) than among men, where it was observed almost twice as infrequently at 16.3%, with average scores on the specified subscale of 14.8 ± 1.9 and 14.7 ± 1.3, respectively (p < 0.05). Mental asthenia was determined in 21.5% of respondents, occurring in 17.4% (14.9 ± 1.8) of surveyed men and 22.6% (15.2 ± 1.7) of women.

Conclusion. The prevalence of asthenia among men and women remains high to this day and requires them to adjust their daily routines, regimes of physical and mental labor, and leisure activities.

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