Table 1 Frequencies and socio-demographic characteristics of FSD-cases versus non-cases

Mean age (SD)

50.30 (12.56)

51.03 (12.93)

p < 0.001

Sex (%)

Male

18,204 (35.0%)

18,184 (49.4%)

p < 0.001

Female

33,877 (65.0%)

18,662 (50.6%)

Ethnicity

White/eastern and western Europe

46,710 (89.6%)

33,303 (98.7%)

p = 0.224

Other

680 (1.4%)

450 (1.3%)

Current relationship duration in years (SD)

24.58 (13.98)

25.73 (13.85)

p < 0.001

Mean of people living in household (SD)

2.75 (1.28)

2.81 (1.37)

p < 0.001

Education

Low

13,224 (25.5%)

9591 (26.0%)

p = 0.19

Medium

16,256 (31.2%)

11,208 (30.4%)

High

14,124 (27.1%)

9895 (26.9%)

Mean number of paid working hours (SD)

30.26 (12.52)

32.75 (12.79)

p < 0.001

Number with a concurrent psychiatric diagnosis (%)

Depression

2370 (4.6%)

269 (0.7%)

p < 0.001

Anxiety

4576 (8.8%)

709 (1.9%)

p < 0.001

Number with a chronic disease from a particular body system (%)

Cardiorespiratory

21,422 (41.1%)

12,119 (32.9%)

p < 0.001

Musculoskeletal

8013 (15.4%)

2572 (7.0%)

p < 0.001

Gastrointestinal

4297 (8.3%)

1492 (4.0%)

p < 0.001

Neurological/other

13,474 (25.9%)

5867 (15.9%)

p < 0.001

Number meeting criteria for a concurrent Functional Syndrome (%)

Fibromyalgia

5220 (10.0%)

100 (0.3%)

p < 0.001

Irritable bowel syndrome

4894 (9.4%)

 < 10 (0.0%)

p < 0.001

Chronic fatigue syndrome/ME

2790 (5.4%)

 < 10 (0.0%)

p < 0.001

Number meeting one or more functional syndrome criteria (%)

No syndrome

37,575 (72.1%)

33,373 (90.6%)

p < 0.001

One syndrome

6501 (12.5%)

103 (0.3%)

p < 0.001

Two syndromes

1943 (3.7%)

-

All three syndromes

463 (0.9%)

-

Number of systems involved for FSD cases

Symptom(s) from one system

25,534 (49.0%)

-

Symptom(s) from two systems

17,046 (32.7%)

-

Symptom(s) from three systems

8145 (15.6%)

-

Symptom(s) from all systems

1356 (2.6%)

-