36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36)

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Original Editor - Evan Thomas

Top Contributors - Lauren Lopez, Uchechukwu Chukwuemeka, Claire Knott, Lucinda hampton, Evan Thomas and Tolulope Adeniji

Objective[edit | edit source]

The 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36) is a frequently-used, self-reported health measure.

It comprises 36 questions which cover eight domains of health: 1) limitations in physical activities because of health problems; 2) limitations in social activities because of physical or emotional problems; 3) limitations in usual role activities because of physical health problems; 4) bodily pain; 5) general mental health (psychological distress and well-being); 6) limitations in usual role activities because of emotional problems; 7) vitality (energy and fatigue); and 8) general health perceptions[1].

Intended Population[edit | edit source]

The original authors designed the SF-36 to measure health at the individual level in clinical practice and research and at the population level for health policy evaluations, and general population surveys[1].

Method of Use[edit | edit source]

Patients or individuals are asked to fill out the questionnaire (tick boxes) by themselves and then it is scored by a clinician or researcher. The SF-36 is licensed though can also be found online.

Evidence[edit | edit source]

Reliability[edit | edit source]

Validity[edit | edit source]

Responsiveness[edit | edit source]

Research has shown the SF-36 to be the most responsive to change in workers with musculoskeletal disorders compared with similar generic health measures[2].

Miscellaneous[edit | edit source]

Resources[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ware Jr., J.E. and Sherbourne, C.D. (1992) The MOS 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). I. Conceptual Framework and Item Selection. Medical Care, 30, 473-483. 
  2. ↑ Beaton D, Hogg-Johnson S, Bombardier C. Evaluating changes in health status: Reliability and responsiveness of five generic health status measures in workers with musculoskeletal disorders. J Clin Epidemiol. 1997. 50; 1:79-93.
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