Is There Regional Variation in the SF-36 Scores of Canadian Adults?

Overview

Journal Can J Public Health

Publisher Springer Nature

Specialty Public Health

Date 2002 Jun 8

PMID 12050994

Citations 6

Authors

Wilma M Hopman

Claudie Berger

Lawrence Joseph

Tanveer Towheed

Tassos Anastassiades

Alan Tenenhouse

Suzette Poliquin

Jacques P Brown

Timothy M Murray

Jonathan D Adachi

David A Hanley

Emmanuel A Papadimitropoulos

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Canadian normative data for the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item short form (SF-36) have recently been published. However, there is evidence from other countries to suggest that regional variation in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) may exist. We therefore examined the SF-36 data from nine Canadian centres for evidence of systematic differences.

Methods: Bayesian hierarchical modelling was used to compare the differences in the eight SF-36 domains and the two summary component scores within each of the age and gender strata across the nine sites.

Results: Five domains and the two summary component scores showed little clinically important variation. Other than a small number of exceptions, there was little overall evidence of HRQOL differences across most domains and across most sites.

Interpretation: Our finding of only a few small differences suggests that there is no need to develop region-specific Canadian normative data for the SF-36 health survey.

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The natural progression of health-related quality of life: results of a five-year prospective study of SF-36 scores in a normative population.

Hopman W, Berger C, Joseph L, Towheed T, VanDenKerkhof E, Anastassiades T Qual Life Res. 2006; 15(3):527-36.

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Stability of normative data for the SF-36: results of a three-year prospective study in middle-aged Canadians.

Hopman W, Berger C, Joseph L, Towheed T, VanDenKerkhof E, Anastassiades T Can J Public Health. 2004; 95(5):387-91.

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