Aim: The aim of the study was to determine the frequency of theincidence of fatigue, and its impact on the performance ofactivities of daily living inpatients with the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS),regardingtheir cognitive, physical,and psychosocial functioning,and alsoto identify differences in the frequency of its occurrence inpatients diagnosed with the disease for up to five years,and in those diagnosed for more than five years. Design:Aquantitative cross-sectional study.Methods:Atotalof 94 MS patients with the mean age of 38.70 ± 11.20,and average disease duration of 6.5 ± 4.7,were included in the sample. An adapted version of a self-assessed questionnaire,the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale(MFIS),was used to collect empirical data.Results:Fatigue had the greatest incidence and impact on activities in the physical subscale ofthe used tool (19.98 ± 8.71). Weidentified statistically significant differences betweenthe first group of MS patients with disease duration of up to five years,and the second group with disease duration of over five years in the physical (p = 0.019) and psychosocial subscales(p = 0.006). The group of respondents withMS for more than five years reportedhigher incidence of fatigue onboth subscales. No significant differences were identified onthe cognitive subscale. Conclusion:Objectification of the frequency of fatigue incidence–aburdensomesymptom of the disease–and the monitoring of its impact on activities of daily living bymeans of suitable measuring instruments, such as the MFIS, contributeto a better understanding of the issue in diagnostics. It also opens up possibilities for its effective management. In terms of further research, itwould be valuableto conductvalidation studiesof this instrument in the Slovak sociocultural environment.

Institute of Nursing Jessenius Faculty of Medicine in Martin Commenius University in Bratislava Slovakia

Neonatal Department Faculty Hospital with Polyclinic Žilina Slovakia

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