Thai SF-36 health survey: tests of data quality, scaling assumptions, reliability and validity in healthy men and women
2008

Testing the Thai SF-36 Health Survey

Sample size: 1345 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Lim Lynette L-Y, Seubsman Sam-ang, Sleigh Adrian

Primary Institution: Australian National University

Hypothesis

The study aims to examine the reliability and validity of the Thai SF-36 Health Survey in a non-clinical general population.

Conclusion

The Thai SF-36 is reliable and valid for use in a general non-clinical population.

Supporting Evidence

  • The questionnaire completion rate was high at 97.5%.
  • Missing data rates were low, less than 1.5% for all items.
  • The ordering of item means within scales generally matched hypothesized expectations.
  • Known groups analysis showed good discriminant validity between subgroups of healthy persons.
  • Internal consistency reliability was acceptable for most scales.

Takeaway

Researchers checked if a health survey used in Thailand works well, and they found it does.

Methodology

The study involved 1345 distance-education university students completing the Thai SF-36 questionnaire, with psychometric tests applied.

Potential Biases

The study may have overestimated data quality as it only assessed returned questionnaires.

Limitations

The results may not be generalizable to all of Thailand due to the convenience sample of university students.

Participant Demographics

Median age was 31 years, with more than 85% under 40 years and 61.4% females.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.05

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1477-7525-6-52

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