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The SF-36 is a 36-item self-report measure of health-related quality of life. It has eight subscales measuring different domains of health-related quality of life: physical functioning (PF), role-physical (RP), bodily pain (BP), general health (GH), vitality (VT), social functioning (SF), role-emotional (RE), and mental health (MH). Two component scores are derived from the eight subscales: a physical health component score and a mental health component score. The SF-36 also includes a single item that assesses perceived change in health status over the past year. Higher scores on all subscales represent better health and functioning. From its development to 2011, more than 16,000 articles were published using the SF-36. SF-36 is also known as the Short Form 36 Health Survey Questionnaire.
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References and Readings
Quality Metric Incorporated. (2011). http://www.qualitymetric.com/
Stewart, A. L., & Ware, J. E., Jr. (Eds.). (1992). Measuring functioning and well-being: The medical outcomes study approach. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
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Ware, J. E., Jr. (1990). Measuring patient function and well-being: Some lessons from the medical outcomes study. In K. A. Heitgoff & K. N. Lohr (Eds.), Effectiveness and outcomes in health care: Proceedings of an invitational conference by the Institute of Medicine Division of Health Care Services (pp. 107–119). Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Ware, J. E., Jr., Kosinski, M., DeBrota, D. J., Andrejasich, C. M., & Bradt, E. W. (1995, October). Comparison of patient responses to SF-36 Health Surveys that are self-administered, interview administered by telephone, and computer-administered by telephone. Paper presented at the Eastern Regional Meeting of the American Federation for Clinical Research, New York, NY.
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Hooker, S.A. (2013). SF-36. In: Gellman, M.D., Turner, J.R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9_1597
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9_1597
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