Lifestyle factors as predictors of incident functional somatic disorder. Five-year follow-up of The DanFunD study 2024 JØrgensen, Fink et al

Abstract

Aims:
To assess whether lifestyle factors, including sleep pattern, are predictors for the development of functional somatic disorder (FSD).

Methods:
A population-based prospective cohort of 9656 men and women aged 18–76 years was established in 2011–2015 and invited for re-examination in 2017–2020, when 5738 participated. Median follow-up period was 65 months. Participants filled in validated questionnaires on lifestyle, sleep pattern and various delimitations of FSD, which were operationalized using two different approaches: bodily distress syndrome (BDS) and functional somatic syndromes (FSS) (i.e. chronic fatigue, chronic widespread pain (CWP), irritable bowel, and multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS)). Baseline lifestyle and sleep pattern in relation to incidence of BDS and FSS (chronic fatigue, CWP, irritable bowel, MCS) was analysed by logistic regressions, adjusted for age, sex and subjective social status.

Results:
Inferior sleep quality at baseline predicted both incidence of BDS and all FSS delimitations except MCS. Smoking, alcohol intake, and low physical activity, but not diet, were predictors for the development of BDS. No uniform pattern was observed for the FSS. Smoking predicted development of chronic fatigue, CWP and irritable bowel, but not MCS. Alcohol and food quality only influenced the development of chronic fatigue whereas low physical activity only influenced the development of chronic fatigue and CWP.

Conclusions:
Lifestyle factors and sleep pattern seem to be predictors for some delimitations of FSD, but the importance of the various lifestyle factors is different for the different delimitations. The study shows the importance of analysing the various FSSs separately.

Paywall, https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/14034948241283545

 

So, as usual they got nothing. They can't even confirm the old stuff they've been asserting for decades. All the risks they mention here are either generically bad, smoking and alcohol, or not lifestyle, such as sleep quality. Nevermind the huge number of us for whom none of this was even a factor at all.

Lifestyle factors have been strongly asserted as being critical. Along with personality traits and other nonsense. And it changes absolutely nothing that none of this can be confirmed. Because clearly nothing matters here. This is all completely self-serving.

But even though recent years have seen efforts to lump everything together, they are setting themselves up to get funding to 'study' them separately all over again. Where they don't find anything, but that won't make any difference. Then probably back to creating yet another overarching concept, failing to find anything, then split them up again.

And this, this of all things, controls tens of millions of lives, completely unchecked with zero validity, oversight or accountability. They can just say whatever they feel like about us and it gives them total power over us.