The Argentine–Spanish SF-36 Health Survey was successfully validated for local outcome research

• Published in: Journal of clinical epidemiology 2008-12, Vol.61 (12), p.1279-1284.e6
• Main Authors: Augustovski, Federico A, Lewin, Gabriela, Elorrio, Ezequiel García, Rubinstein, Adolfo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Ambulatory care; Ambulatory Care Facilities; Argentina; Biological and medical sciences; Developing countries; Disease; Epidemiology; Female; General aspects; Generic instruments; Health care; Health Services - statistics & numerical data; Health Status Indicators; Health Surveys; Health-related quality of life; Humans; Industrialized nations; Internal Medicine; LDCs; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Outcome Assessment, Health Care - methods; Pain; Patient reported outcomes; Patient Satisfaction; Planification. Prevention (methods). Intervention. Evaluation; Population studies; Principal components analysis; Psychometrics; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Quality of Life; Questionnaire validation; SF-36; Validation studies; Validity; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0895-4356; 1878-5921
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2008.05.004

Abstract Objective To evaluate psychometric properties of the Argentine–Spanish SF-36 and to validate the physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) measures. Study Design and Setting A self-administration of the SF-36 with 1-year follow-up was performed in a University-based ambulatory center in Buenos Aires. Diagnoses were abstracted from the chart. Univariate analysis, psychometric methods, and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted. Results Of 3,290 subjects, 2,638 had computable scores and were included: 1,938 at their initial contact and 700 from a random sample of other enrollees. Cronbach's alpha ranged from 0.79 to 0.92 in all subscales except for General Health. Age was related to PCS scores (lower in the elderly) but not to MCS scores. PCS and MCS provided good discrimination among mutually exclusive disease categories; minor medical (52.2 vs. 51.1), psychosocial (48.1 vs. 43.0), chronic medical (46.2 vs. 51.0) and both chronic and mental conditions (44.9 vs. 45.1) in PCS and MCS, respectively ( P < 0.01). Mean annual doctor visits increased from 3.6 to 5.3 in subjects with PCS > 55 and PCS < 35, and from 4.4 to 6.0 in subjects with MCS > 55 and MCS < 35, respectively ( P < 0.0001). Conclusions SF-36 is a valid tool for outcome research in Argentina although normative general population studies are needed.