Frequent fatigue was reported by about 17% of US adults in 2024 and was associated with greater difficulties across multiple areas of functioning as well as work and social participation.
Investigators analyzed data from the 2024 National Health Interview Survey, including 31,917 adult participants with valid responses about fatigue. The Sample Adult interview response rate was about 48%.
Frequent fatigue was defined as feeling “very tired or exhausted” most days or every day during the previous 3 months. The investigators examined fatigue by sex, age, race and Hispanic origin, family income, region, and urbanization. They assessed fatigue duration and intensity, difficulties across 9 functioning domains, and limitations in work and social participation.
Overall, 72% of adults reported feeling very tired or exhausted at least some days during the previous 3 months, including 55% who reported fatigue some days, 11% most days, and 6% every day. Frequent fatigue was reported by 17%.
Among those with frequent fatigue, 70% reported anxiety symptoms, 46% had difficulty with cognition, and 45% reported depression symptoms. Depression symptoms were about thrice as prevalent and cognition difficulty and anxiety symptoms were twice as prevalent among those with frequent fatigue compared with those without it.
Multiple co-occurring difficulties were also more common among adults with frequent fatigue. Overall, 51% reported difficulties in 3 or more functioning domains vs. 17% of adults without frequent fatigue. Nearly 90% of adults with frequent fatigue had difficulty in at least 1 of the 9 domains examined.
Work limitations because of physical, mental, or emotional problems were reported by 36% of adults with frequent fatigue compared with 15% without frequent fatigue. Among adults with frequent fatigue, 16% reported some difficulty participating in social activities, with 9% reporting a lot of difficulty and 4% reporting no ability to participate.
Women reported frequent fatigue more often compared with men (20% vs. 13%). Prevalence decreased with age, from 20% among adults aged 18 to 34 years to 13% among those aged 65 years or older. American Indian and Alaska Native non-Hispanic adults had the highest prevalence at 26%, followed by White non-Hispanic adults at 18%, Black non-Hispanic adults at 17%, Hispanic adults at 13%, and Asian non-Hispanic adults at 9%.
Frequent fatigue decreased with higher family income, from 22% among adults with family incomes below 100% of the federal poverty level to 14% among those at or above 400%. Prevalence was 18% in both the South and Midwest, 16% in the West, and 15% in the Northeast. Fatigue increased with less urbanization, from 15% among adults in large central metropolitan areas to 21% among those in nonmetropolitan areas.
Among adults with frequent fatigue, 45% reported that their most recent episode lasted some of the day, 35% most of the day, and 20% all day. Thirty-nine percent described the intensity as “a lot,” 47% rated it between “a little” and “a lot,” and 15% described it as “a little.”
The study was limited by its cross-sectional design. The association between fatigue and functioning difficulties could reflect fatigue affecting functioning, an underlying condition contributing to both, or a combination of factors. The measures were self-reported, and the National Health Interview Survey excluded individuals living in long-term care institutions, limiting the estimates to the US civilian noninstitutionalized population.
"This report provides a unique look at the prevalence and distribution of fatigue symptoms that are not condition-specific,” wrote lead study author Natalie A. E. Young, PhD, and colleagues.
The study authors reported no conflicts of interest.
