Childbirth and the measurement of fatigue

Fatigue during labor concerns women and nurses alike, yet few studies have directly measured fatigue during childbirth. Many issues and difficulties with the conceptualization and measurement of fatigue have been raised because of the multidimensionality of the concept. Fatigue was conceptualized as including subjective, cognitive, and physical dimensions, and was therefore operationalized using multiple methods. In the two studies described, fatigue was measured using the Modified Fatigue Symptom Checklist (MFSC), the Pearson-Byars Feeling Checklist (PBFC), Visual Analogue Scales (VAS), the Digit Span Subtest of the Wechsler Intelligence Test (revised R), and a hand held bulb dynamometer. These studies support the reliability and validity of the measures used to quantify fatigue during labor. These findings support the operationalization of fatigue as a multidimensional concept.