ABSTRACT
Introduction: The aim of this study is to report normative data for the Short-Form 36 version 2 (SF-36v2) for assessing health-related quality of life, in the Singapore general population.
Materials and Methods: Data for English and Chinese-speaking participants of the Singapore Prospective Study Programme were analysed. The SF-36v2 scores were norm-based with the English-speaking Singapore general population as reference and reported by age (in decades), gender and ethnicity as well as for the 5 most prevalent chronic medical conditions. Scores were reported separately for the English and Chinese language versions. Results: A total of 6151 English-speaking (61.5% Chinese and 19.2% Malay) and 1194 Chinese-speaking participants provided complete data. Mean (SD) age of all participants was 49.6 (12.58) years with 52.4% being women. In both languages, women reported lower scores than men on all scales. Among the chronic medical conditions, stroke had the largest impact on all English SF-36v2 scales and on 3 Chinese SF-36v2 scales (role-physical, general health and social functioning). Conclusion: We have provided detailed normative data for the Singapore English and Chinese SF-36v2, which would be valuable in furthering HRQoL research in Singapore and possibly the region.Health-related Quality of Life (HRQoL) measures are increasingly being incorporated into clinical research and practice as a tool to understand, from the patients’ perspective, the impact of a disease on their physical, mental and social well-being. The Medical Outcomes Short-Form 36 (SF-36) Questionnaire is arguably the most commonly used generic profile-based HRQoL measure, with translations in over 120 languages across more than 40 countries.
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