Evaluating Health Surveys for Ankylosing Spondylitis Patients
Author Information
Author(s): Dennis A Revicki, Anne M Rentz, Michelle P Luo, Robert L Wong
Primary Institution: United BioSource Corporation
Hypothesis
The study aims to evaluate the psychometric characteristics of the SF-36 Health Survey and FACIT-Fatigue subscale in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.
Conclusion
The SF-36 is a reliable and valid measure of health-related quality of life, and the FACIT-Fatigue is a sound measure of fatigue effects in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.
Supporting Evidence
- The SF-36 and FACIT-Fatigue showed good internal consistency/reliability with Cronbach alpha values of 0.74-0.92 and 0.82-0.86, respectively.
- Scores from the SF-36 and FACIT-Fatigue correlated significantly with Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of Life scores.
- Both measures varied by clinical severity, indicating their responsiveness to changes in patient condition.
Takeaway
This study looked at how well two health surveys work for people with a type of arthritis called ankylosing spondylitis, finding that they are good at measuring health and fatigue.
Methodology
The study analyzed data from two randomized controlled trials comparing adalimumab and placebo for treating active ankylosing spondylitis over 12 weeks.
Limitations
The findings may not be generalizable to all patients with ankylosing spondylitis as the analysis was based on participants from two clinical trials.
Participant Demographics
The average age of participants was 42 years, with 75.8% male and 95.7% white.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p < 0.0001
Statistical Significance
p < 0.0001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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