Gastrointestinal Symptoms, Dietary Habits, and the Effect on Health-Related Quality of Life among Australian Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objective: Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a debilitating condition of unknown aetiology. Gastrointestinal symptoms and dietary sensitivities appear to be implicated in ME/CFS presentation; however, this has not yet been described in Australian patients. Therefore, this study aimed to describe the gastrointestinal symptoms, dietary habits, and food intolerances and the effect of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among Australian ME/CFS patients. Methods: Data was collected for this cross-sectional study with an online self-administered questionnaire between February 2019 and January 2020. Patients across Australia were recruited through voluntary response to online advertisements. Eligible participants were subsequently invited to complete the online questionnaire via Lime Survey. Results: Thirty-eight eligible participants were included in the study and were classified using the Fukuda, Canadian Consensus Criteria, and International Consensus Criteria case definitions. The majority of these patients were female (78.9%), of normal weight (55.3%), unemployed (60.5%), and had obtained an undergraduate level of education (52.6%). A noteworthy finding of this study was that 97.4% of Australian ME/CFS patients experienced gastrointestinal manifestations, with 94.6% of these patients experiencing bloating. Food avoidance was also highly prevalent (89.5%), Breanna Weigel1,2,3*; Natalie Eaton-Fitch1,2,3; Rachel Passmore1,2,3; Hélène Cabanas1,2,3; Donald Staines1,2; Sonya Marshall-Gradisnik1,2 1The National Centre for Neuroimmunology and Emerging Diseases, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia. 2Consortium Health International for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia. 3School of Medical Science, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia.