Pain and fatigue are common symptoms in clinical and occupational health, yet their relationship with functional factors remains complex. This study was meant to investigate how age, gender, occupation, pain intensity, fatigue (measured by the Fatigue Assessment Scale—FAS), and functional status interact in a general adult population. Understanding these associations is important for establishing targeted therapeutic strategies and improving quality of life. A cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 297 adult respondents, consisting of 151 women (50.84%) and 146 men (49.16%), with an age range of 18 to 75 years (mean age = 42.3 years, SD = 13.7). Pearson’s correlation analysis was used to evaluate linear relationships between age, gender, occupation, pain intensity, FAS score, and functional status. Pain and fatigue were assessed using validated scales, and demographic data were collected via structured questionnaires. Age showed a weak but statistically significant positive correlation with pain intensity (r = 0.130, p = 0.025), while gender exhibited a weak negative correlation (r = -0.122, p = 0.032), with women reporting higher pain levels. The strongest correlation was found between pain intensity and FAS score (r = 0.232, p < 0.001), indicating a close link between functional impairment and perceived pain. No significant associations were found between occupation and either pain (r = -0.047, p = 0.419) or functional status (r = -0.053, p = 0.364). Age did not significantly correlate with fatigue (r = -0.073, p = 0.211), suggesting multifactorial influences beyond chronological aging. The findings suggest that demographic factors such as age and gender, along with functional status, play a more substantial role in pain and fatigue perception than occupational classification. These insights support the need for individualized physiotherapeutic approaches that consider personal and functional characteristics rather than professional background alone.
Kutiš et al. (Tue,) studied this question.