Cancer-related Fatigue in Relation to Chronotype and Sleep Quality in (Non-)Hodgkin Lymphoma Survivors

Daniëlle E J Starreveld, G Esther A Habers, Heiddis B Valdimarsdottir, Rob Kessels, Laurien A Daniëls, Flora E van Leeuwen, Eveline M A Bleiker*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Cancer-related fatigue has been related to circadian disruptions and lower levels of sleep quality. However, it is unknown whether the circadian phase, which is associated with chronotype and timing of sleep, is related to fatigue after cancer. The aims of this study were to investigate the associations between (1) chronotype and cancer-related fatigue and (2) sleep quality and cancer-related fatigue. In this cross-sectional questionnaire study, 458 (non-)Hodgkin lymphoma survivors (n = 231 female, mean age 49.7 years) completed a Visual Analogue Scale for fatigue (VAS-fatigue) from 0 (no fatigue) to 10 (worst imaginable fatigue), the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire (MCTQ), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) between October 2018 and July 2019. A hierarchical linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the associations between the dependent variable fatigue and chronotype (based on early, intermediate, or late average midsleep) in Model 1, and fatigue and sleep quality in Model 2. The results showed no indications for an association between chronotype and fatigue (all p values ≥ 0.50). There were associations between two (out of seven) aspects of sleep quality and fatigue: subjective sleep quality (p < 0.001) and daily dysfunctioning (p < 0.001). Therefore, it is more likely that fatigue is associated with self-reported sleep quality rather than with chronotype. However, experimental studies with objective, physiological data on circadian phase and sleep quality are necessary to confirm the conclusions of this cross-sectional study.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)71-83
Number of pages13
JournalJournal of Biological Rhythms
Volume36
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Feb 2021
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • circadian rhythms
  • fatigue
  • neoplasms
  • sleep
  • survivorship

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Cancer-related Fatigue in Relation to Chronotype and Sleep Quality in (Non-)Hodgkin Lymphoma Survivors'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this