The reliability and validity of the SF-36 health survey questionnaire for use with individuals with traumatic brain injury

Abstract

In order to examine the reliability and validity of the SF-36 for use with individuals with TBI, the SF-36 and three measures of health-related problems in persons with TBI (BDI-II, TIRR Symptom Checklist, Health Problems List) were administered to 271 individuals without a disability, 98 individuals with mild TBI, and 228 individuals with moderate-severe TBI. Internal consistency (reliability) was demonstrated for all SF-36 scales. Significant correlations were found between the SF-36 scales and the other measures, with stronger correlations emerging in the TBI groups. The TBI groups obtained significantly lower SF-36 scores than the comparison group, and the mild TBI group scored lower than the moderate-severe group. For the most part, the differences between the TBI groups disappeared when BDI-II scores were controlled for. These findings suggest that the SF-36 is a reliable and valid measure for use with persons with TBI.

Persistent problems 1 year after mild traumatic brain injury: a longitudinal population study in New Zealand

“…23 The measure contains two component scales (mental health and physical health), which have sound psychometric properties. 23,24 Higher scores (range 0-100) indicate better quality of life.…”

Quality of life in adult intradural primary spinal tumors: 36-Item Short Form Health Survey correlation with McCormick and Aminoff-Logue scales

“…85 Validity and reliability are well-known aspects of health measurement scales and are 2 important characteristics of any instrument designed to evaluate outcome. 2,60 Validity and reliability data of the SF-36 are already available for several neurological conditions, including migraine headache, 1 stroke, 5 traumatic brain injury, 30 cervical spondylotic myelopathy, 51 low-back pain, 39 sciatica, 69 lumbar disc herniation, 32 and lumbar canal stenosis. 43 As such, this scale can be used appropriately in patients with these conditions, but its generalization and application in patients with other diseases have first to be evaluated in well-designed studies because the results can be erroneous and misleading.…”

“…This scale was chosen because of its previous use for other neurological diseases 1,5,30,32,39,43,51,69 and is already a wellknown instrument to measure QOL. Its validation will certainly allow other studies to use this scale more safely and with a scientific basis to evaluate patients with IPSTs and to compare outcomes.…”

“…86 Subsequently the SF-36 has been validated in patients with numerous diseases, including benign prostatic hypertrophy, 6,7 cancer, 1 clinical depression, 77 congestive heart failure, 77 coronary artery disease, 27 type 2 diabetes, 77 end-stage renal disease, 48 hypertension, 77 inflam- 77 and systemic lupus erythematosis. 78,[81][82][83] Additionally, the survey validated in patients with neurological and neurosurgical problems, including migraine headache, 1 stroke, 5 traumatic brain injury, 30 cervical spondylotic myelopathy, 51 low-back pain, 39 sciatica, 69 lumbar disc herniation, 32 and lumbar canal stenosis. 43 The present study adds IPSTs to the list of diseases for which the SF-36 provides valid data.…”

Multivariate assessment of subjective and objective measures of social and family satisfaction in Veterans with history of traumatic brain injury

“…Individuals who have sustained a TBI tend to report worse QOL than those who have not sustained a TBI [27], even those who have sustained injuries in the mild to moderate range [28][29]. In the context of mild TBI, it appears that higher rates of postconcussive symptoms are also associated with worse QOL [30].…”