“so instead of working three hours, I should work two and then
leave it” (79-year-old woman, low fatigue interference).
All participants in the qualitative arm were asked to define fatigue.
Definitions included “being completely wore (sic) out,”
“different kind of fatigue,” “bone weary,” and “low energy,
low mental processing.” Participants often described it as being
different than the feeling after a long day at work, “I’ve
done a hard day’s work before and not quite feel, wouldn’t
be the same.... I really don’t know how to explain it...just more
or less completely exhausted” (85-year-old man, high fatigue
interference). Although the descriptions and definitions varied,
it was obvious that fatigue was a physically and mentally
taxing symptom that was affecting the individuals’ daily lives.
Definitions of fatigue did not vary whether participants experienced
high, moderate, or low interference from fatigue.