Research Article

Long-Term Parental Unemployment in Childhood and Subsequent Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Table 1

Age-race adjusted logistic regression of chronic fatigue syndrome ( = 7,193) and fully adjusted odds ratio of chronic fatigue syndrome ( = 7,088) in a representative community sample. Source: Canadian Community Health Survey, 2005.

Age-race adjusted 
odds ratios
Lower 95% confidence intervalUpper 95% confidence intervalFully adjusted 
odds ratios
Lower 95% confidence intervalUpper 95% confidence interval

Parental unemployment
 Yes unemployment4.1152.5986.5183.0471.8075.139
 No unemployment1.00ReferenceReference1.00ReferenceReference

Age by decade
 12–191.00ReferenceReference1.00ReferenceReference
 20–298.436 0.584121.7789.2060.625135.687
 30–397.4010.507108.04510.2610.679154.970
 40–498.0920.561116.66411.9340.795179.210
 50–597.9920.551115.95410.1540.667154.491
 60–699.6080.651141.84412.8840.825201.224
 70–798.1090.538122.1528.8910.594142.607
 80+ years5.6140.34292.0876.9870.407120.004
Race (self-report)
 White4.8951.69514.1365.4191.82016.140
 Non-White1.00ReferenceReference1.00ReferenceReference

Number of other childhood adversities1.2890.9901.677

Body mass index
 Underweight or normal (bmi < 25)1.00ReferenceReference
 Overweight0.7240.4201.247
 Obese1.2980.7602.216
 Missing0.3120.0691.408
High blood pressure
 Yes1.4220.8432.398
 No1.00ReferenceReference
Smoking status
 Current or former 1.0350.6481.655
 Never smoked1.00ReferenceReference

Education
 <High school graduate1.00ReferenceReference
 High school grad or some
 postsecondary education
2.1551.1194.149
 Postsecondary graduation1.1840.6082.309
Household income
 No or <$15,0003.8291.8108.102
 $15,000–$29,9991.3780.6342.992
 $30,000–$49,9992.0271.0953.750
 $50,000 or more1.00ReferenceReference
 Missing data3.0171.5915.722
Stress level (self-report)
 Quite a bit to extremely stressed3.0571.9654.754
 No stress to a bit of stress1.00ReferenceReference
Marital status0.7440.4561.217
 Married
 Not married1.00ReferenceReference

Mood disorder
 Yes1.2980.7022.400
 No1.00ReferenceReference
Anxiety disorder
 Yes3.0421.6855.491
 No1.00ReferenceReference