Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42249231›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of pediatrics2026

Novel activity and participation scales for children, adolescents, and young adults with postacute infection and vaccination syndromes and/or ME/CFS.

Carola Weidmann, Annika Grabbe, Maria Eberhartinger, Alissa Kircher, Ariane Leone, Cordula Warlitz, Silvia Stojanov, Uta Behrends, Lorenz L Mihatsch

Abstract readValidation Study
In one paragraph

Article in European journal of pediatrics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Carola WeidmannMunich Chronic Fatigue Center for Young People (MCFC), Pediatrics, Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine and Health, Children's Hospital, Munich, Germany.
Annika GrabbeMunich Chronic Fatigue Center for Young People (MCFC), Pediatrics, Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine and Health, Children's Hospital, Munich, Germany.
Maria EberhartingerMunich Chronic Fatigue Center for Young People (MCFC), Pediatrics, Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine and Health, Children's Hospital, Munich, Germany.
Alissa KircherMunich Chronic Fatigue Center for Young People (MCFC), Pediatrics, Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine and Health, Children's Hospital, Munich, Germany.
Ariane LeoneMunich Chronic Fatigue Center for Young People (MCFC), Pediatrics, Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine and Health, Children's Hospital, Munich, Germany.
Cordula WarlitzMunich Chronic Fatigue Center for Young People (MCFC), Pediatrics, Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine and Health, Children's Hospital, Munich, Germany.
Silvia StojanovMunich Chronic Fatigue Center for Young People (MCFC), Child and Adolescent Psychosomatics, Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine and Health, Children's Hospital, Munich, Germany.
Uta BehrendsMunich Chronic Fatigue Center for Young People (MCFC), Pediatrics, Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine and Health, Children's Hospital, Munich, Germany.
Lorenz L MihatschMunich Chronic Fatigue Center for Young People (MCFC), Pediatrics, Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine and Health, Children's Hospital, Munich, Germany. L.Mihatsch@tum.de.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Children, adolescents, and young adults (CYP) with postacute infection and vaccination syndromes (PAIVS), and/or myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), experience profound loss in activity and participation. We introduce and psychometrically validate two new brief, age-adapted, and domain-specific questionnaires for clinical use assessing activity and participation in this vulnerable patient group. For this, 91 patients (aged 10-25 years) were assessed at the Munich Chronic Fatigue Center (MCFC) from 12/2022 to 11/2024. We designed the MCFC Activity Scale and MCFC Participation Scale and assessed construct validity using confirmatory factor analysis for both questionnaires. Reliability was evaluated via Cronbach's α. Factor-based MCFC Activity and Participation Scores (0-100) were derived and correlated with Bell Score, FSS, DSQ-PEM, and SF-12 Component Summary Scales (PCS and MCS). Discrimination for ME/CFS was evaluated using ROC analyses. Participants (mean age 15.6 ± 2.4 years) were predominantly female (64%). 65% were diagnosed with ME/CFS. The MCFC Activity Scale showed excellent one-factor fit (comparative fit index, CFI = 1.00) and good internal consistency (α = 0.82). The MCFC Participation Scale showed good internal consistency (α = 0.85) and acceptable one-factor fit (CFI = 0.817). Factor-based activity and participation were strongly correlated yet distinct (r = 0.73). Derived MCFC Activity and Participation Scores differed significantly by ME/CFS diagnosis (p ≤ 0.009). Scores correlated with Bell Score, FSS, DSQ-PEM, and SF-12 PCS (all p ≤ .002). For ME/CFS discrimination, the Activity Score achieved an AUC = 0.78 and the Participation Score an AUC = 0.72.Conclusion: The Activity Scale demonstrated strong construct validity. The Participation Scale showed good internal consistency. Both scores demonstrated good convergent validity with established patient-reported outcome measures, supporting clinical utility. They may serve as pragmatic screening tools for this vulnerable patient group.

Indexed as

Fatigue Syndrome, ChronicPost-Infectious DisordersPsychometricsVaccinationAdolescentAdultChildFemaleHumansMaleReproducibility of ResultsSurveys and QuestionnairesYoung AdultActivity scaleME/CFS, Post-COVIDPAIVSParticipation scalePostacute infection syndromes

Identifiers

PMID42249231
PMCPMC13241460

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.