Young Women Are The Most Tired, Boomers The Least, New Study Finds

Fatigue is more common among younger American adults and women than men, according to recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

The latest study from the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) suggests that 16.6% of U.S. adults experienced frequent fatigue in 2024. Meanwhile, 20% of women reported frequently experiencing fatigue, compared to just 13% of men.

Reports of frequent fatigue were highest among 18-34 year olds in the U.S. at 19.5%, compared to 12.9% of adults aged 65 and up who reported feeling fatigued frequently, the study shows. In 2024, 71.5% of U.S. adults reported experiencing fatigue at least some days over the past three months, per the report.

“Despite the association with health and well-being, the frequency of fatigue symptoms in the general U.S. population is an underexplored topic,” the researchers said.

The prevalence of frequent fatigue was also higher among adults living in the South and Midwest, according to the NCHS.

The NCHS notes that fatigue is “generally defined as physical or mental tiredness or exhaustion that does not improve with additional sleep or rest,” according to the study.

However, the CDC said that the report’s key focus “is on fatigue symptoms themselves and not the underlying causes of fatigue or fatigue associated with specific medical conditions.”

Dr. Alana A. Lewis, a cardiologist at the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, told NBC News that the study’s findings are “not unexpected.”

“Just living in this country, we all, at some point, feel fatigue,” Lewis added.

Fatigue symptoms can result from a variety of factors, including medical conditions, illness, unhealthy lifestyle choices, challenges in the workplace, grief and stress, according to Better Health Channel.

The NCHS’ report used data from the 2024 National Health Interview Survey to estimate fatigue symptoms among adults ages 18 and up.