Chalder, T, Goodman, R, Wessely, S et al. · BMJ (Clinical research ed.) · 2003 · DOI
This study looked at how common ME/CFS is in children aged 5-15 years old in the United Kingdom. Researchers surveyed thousands of families to find out how many children experienced long-lasting tiredness and muscle pain similar to ME/CFS. The findings help doctors understand how widespread this condition is in young people.
Understanding how common ME/CFS is in children is essential for healthcare planning, resource allocation, and raising awareness among pediatricians. Early epidemiological data helps establish ME/CFS as a significant pediatric health concern and provides a foundation for future research into disease mechanisms and treatment in young people.
This study does not prove what causes ME/CFS, nor does it establish whether the condition is primarily biological, psychological, or multifactorial. Being cross-sectional, it captures only a single moment in time and cannot track how children's symptoms change over months or years. The study relies on parent and self-reported symptoms, which may not perfectly align with clinical diagnostic criteria.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Chalder, T, Goodman, R, Wessely, S, Hotopf, M, & Meltzer, H (2003). Epidemiology of chronic fatigue syndrome and self reported myalgic encephalomyelitis in 5-15 year olds: cross sectional study.. BMJ (Clinical research ed.). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.327.7416.654
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-chalder-2003-epidemiology-chronic,
author = {Chalder, T and Goodman, R and Wessely, S and Hotopf, M and Meltzer, H},
title = {Epidemiology of chronic fatigue syndrome and self reported myalgic encephalomyelitis in 5-15 year olds: cross sectional study.},
journal = {BMJ (Clinical research ed.)},
year = {2003},
doi = {10.1136/bmj.327.7416.654},
note = {PubMed: 14500438},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/chalder-2003-epidemiology-chronic},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-29. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/chalder-2003-epidemiology-chronic
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