Validating an Amharic Version of the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) in Individuals With Leprosy in Ethiopia.

Abstract

Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has now become an indispensable outcome measure in many randomized clinical trials and other studies. It provides the patient’s voice in measuring health improvement or decline and assessing treatment effectiveness. A validated Amharic version of HRQoL assessment tool was needed for leprosy clinical trials in Ethiopia. The SF-36 was chosen but a validated Amharic version was not available. We describe how this was developed.Methods: The SF-36 was translated from English into Amharic and evaluated for content acceptability in a patient focus group. Back translation was performed. Validity and reliability of Amharic SF-36 in leprosy affected individuals was tested with 100 patients with leprosy attending the leprosy clinic at ALERT hospital and compared to the Amharic version of the WHOQOL-BREF.Results: Amharic translations of both the WHOQOL-BREF and the SF-36 had good reliability and validity amongst leprosy affected individuals. Internal consistency reliability estimates for each domain/scale exceeded 0.70. The Amharic SF-36 had better convergent and discriminant validity than WHOQOL-BREF in this group of patients. Good known-group validity was seen in both WHOQOL-BREF and SF-36 in leprosy affected patients. Amharic SF-36 had good inter-rater reliability with seven out of 8 domains scoring above 0.8 in intra-class correlation.Conclusion: This Amharic version of the SF-36 is a valid instrument to measure HRQoL in clinical trials involving leprosy affected individuals in Ethiopia.

Multiple aspects of energy poverty are associated with lower mental health-related quality of life: A modelling study in three peri-urban African communities

“…The SF-36 questionnaire is the gold standard for assessing HRQoL. The SF-36 has been administered to various populations across different cultural settings in over 60 languages and more than 7,000 studies, including in SSA ( Wyss et al., 1999 ; Patel et al., 2017 ; Kuo and Operario, 2011 ; Verduin et al., 2014 ; Lambert et al., 2021 ). Reliability studies of the SF-36 in SSA have demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha >0.80) ( Wyss et al., 1999 ; Patel et al., 2017 ; Kuo and Operario, 2011 ; Verduin et al., 2014 ; Lambert et al., 2021 ).…”

“…The SF-36 has been administered to various populations across different cultural settings in over 60 languages and more than 7,000 studies, including in SSA ( Wyss et al., 1999 ; Patel et al., 2017 ; Kuo and Operario, 2011 ; Verduin et al., 2014 ; Lambert et al., 2021 ). Reliability studies of the SF-36 in SSA have demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha >0.80) ( Wyss et al., 1999 ; Patel et al., 2017 ; Kuo and Operario, 2011 ; Verduin et al., 2014 ; Lambert et al., 2021 ). The SF-36 is separated into eight domains: general health perception, physical functioning, role-physical functioning, bodily pain, vitality, social functioning, role-emotional functioning and mental health.…”

“…As mental illness is often underdiagnosed in SSA due to generally lower mental health literacy among healthcare professionals and higher perceived stigma associated with mood and anxiety disorders ( Sankoh et al., 2018 ), identifying determinants of poor mental health in SSA can be particularly challenging. Likert scale instruments that assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL), an individual's satisfaction with their daily functioning, life-satisfaction and ability to develop mutually beneficial relationships, have been successfully used to assess mental health across multiple populations ( Ware and Gandek, 1998 ; Ware, 2000 ), including in SSA ( Wyss et al., 1999 ; Patel et al., 2017 ; Kuo and Operario, 2011 ; Verduin et al., 2014 ; Lambert et al., 2021 ). Mental and physical HRQoL (or well-being), defined as a person's ‘perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live, and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards and concerns’ ( World Health Organization, 1997 ), has been found to be highly associated with depression ( Moore et al., 2005 ) and severity of depression ( IsHak et al., 2011 ).…”

Health related quality of life and associated factors among postpartum women after normal vaginal delivery and caesarean section: A comparative cross-sectional study

“…The questionnaire was selected by reviewing relevant literatures on the subject to ensure reliability (23,24). The Amharic version of the SF-36 questioner was used (25). Training was conducted for data collectors on the purpose of study, procedures of data collection for one day prior to the study.…”