Evaluating the SF-36 Questionnaire in Brazil
Author Information
Author(s): Josué Laguardia, Monica R. Campos, Claudia M. Travassos, Alberto L. Najar, Luiz A. Anjos, Miguel M. Vasconcellos
Primary Institution: Fundação Oswaldo Cruz
Hypothesis
Does the Brazilian version of the SF-36 meet the psychometric standards for reliability and validity in the general population?
Conclusion
The Brazilian version of SF-36 is a reliable and valid measure of health-related quality of life among the general population.
Supporting Evidence
- The SF-36 showed a 100% completion rate among respondents.
- All item-scale correlations exceeded the reliability criteria.
- The study identified two principal components accounting for 67.5% of the total variance.
Takeaway
The SF-36 questionnaire helps us understand how healthy people feel, and this study shows it works well in Brazil.
Methodology
A stratified sample of 12,423 individuals from 8,048 households was interviewed using the Brazilian SF-36 (version 2) to evaluate its psychometric properties.
Potential Biases
Potential biases may arise from the self-reported nature of health status and the challenges in accessing certain populations.
Limitations
The study may not fully capture the experiences of all demographic groups due to the sampling design.
Participant Demographics
42.3% male, mean age 48.5 years, predominantly white with more than 4 years of schooling.
Statistical Information
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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