BACKGROUND
Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of SLE worldwide yet remains poorly assessed and managed. The psycho-sociocultural underpinnings of fatigue are understudied; therefore, we conducted a systematic review to understand a transcultural perspective of SLE-related fatigue.
OBJECTIVE
To understand a transcultural perspective of SLE-related fatigue
METHODS
Following PRISMA systematic review guidelines, we searched CINAHL Complete, Scopus, and PubMed databases for all published articles covered until the search date. A 3-step process was used to identify articles meeting the inclusion criteria. Results were analyzed using narrative synthesis.
RESULTS
From 370 articles searched, 18 studies met inclusion and exclusion criteria and were included in this review. All studies enrolled primarily female participants, and half had cross-sectional designs. Although the race was not reported in all studies, most studies had Caucasians as the largest proportion of their samples. The majority (38.9%) was conducted in the United States of America. Using a narrative synthesis, the prominent themes drawn based on the domains of the Culture Care Theory (CCT) and the Sunrise Enabler were: SLE-related fatigue as (1) an integral component of the disease process, (2) a personal challenge, and (3) a psychosocial dimension.
CONCLUSIONS
Considering Leininger’s CCT and Sunrise Enabler, there are still gaps in the literature on how advances in technology, religion and philosophy, political climate, economic, educational factors, and the worldviews of particular geographic locations might influence SLE-related fatigue experience, assessment, and evaluation. Understanding SLE-related fatigue from different cultures improves accurate assessment and management. A culturally sensitive and congruent assessment and evaluation model should be developed to capture SLE-related fatigue experiences accurately. Also, since global migration is inevitable, advancement in symptom management strategies should coincide with this.
CLINICALTRIAL
Not Applicable