Cultural differences in conceptual models of everyday fatigue: a vignette study

The present study used a qualitative methodology to examine cultural differences in representations of everyday fatigue. Thirty-seven European American women and 36 South Asian immigrant women responded to a vignette describing fatigue. A dimensional model of illness representation was used to develop a coding scheme and analyze the data. Results indicate both similarities and differences in conceptual models of fatigue. European Americans were more likely to medicalize fatigue symptoms and view them as acute, severe and in need of treatment. The social and familial context of women's everyday lives strongly influenced their representations.