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FAQ's
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Can the SF-36®
be used with children?
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The Child Health
Questionnaire (CHQ) is a much better choice. As documented in the CHQ User's
Manual, the CHQ health profile and summary measured were developed specifically
for children and adolescents. The 28-item and 50-item CHQ short-forms, which
covers the same 12 concepts as the full-length CHQ, are more efficient measures
than the SF-36® and they are more valid for children.
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Can the SF-36®
be used with adolescents 14-17 years old?
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The CHQ was specifically
designed for use with adolescents and represents salient concepts not found in
the SF-36® (e.g., activities with friends, self-esteem,
behavior, family). Prior to the development of the CHQ, the SF-36®
was used to study the health of adolescents. However, comparison studies are
now needed to empirically determine which instrument works best for this
population.
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Does the SF-36®
or SF-12® ask about specific illnesses or conditions?
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The SF-36®
and SF-12® are generic health instruments that tap into the
following areas: physical functioning, performance in physical role,
performance in emotional role, vitality, social functioning, bodily pain,
general health perceptions, and mental health. The results are generally
displayed as either 8 scales or the two summary scales that capture physical
and mental health. The questionnaires are widely used and have been found to be
very useful in monitoring health outcomes in various disease and condition
areas. To find out more detail about its use refer to the SF-36®
bibliography. The resulting literature will show the amount of use of the tool
in areas of interest as well as the responsiveness of the different scales to
different conditions. Additionally, the SF-36® and SF-12®
manuals contain tables showing scores for different disease groups.
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