Table 1.
Details of randomised patients
| Relaxation (n=67)
|
Exercise (n=69)
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Median (interquartile range) age (years) | 45 (38-52) | 48 (38-56) |
| Median (interquartile range) duration (years) | 4 (3-9) | 6.5 (3-10) |
| Median (interquartile range) education (years) | 11 (10-14) | 12 (10-14) |
| Single | 33 | 35 |
| Women | 64 | 62 |
| Currently employed | 14 | 23 |
| Receiving social security benefits | 49 | 40 |
| Taking analgesics | 27 | 27 |
| Taking antidepressants | 20 | 16 |
| Fulfil criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome | 48 | 47 |
| Mean (SD) SF-36 summary z scores*: | ||
| Mental component | −3.9 (1.6) | −3.6 (1.3) |
| Physical component | −3.9 (1.1) | −3.7 (0.9) |
*
Compared with means of UK populations.