The Short-Form 36 and older people: some problems encountered when using postal administration.
OBJECTIVE
To explore some of the problems encountered in the postal administration of the Short-Form 36 (SF-36). Questions that seem to present particular difficulties for the group are identified. In addition some of the written comments from the questionnaires and people's responses to questions on how difficult they found the SF-36 are discussed.


METHODS
The study group were asked to complete a health questionnaire containing the SF-36 on three separate occasions (at zero, three, and six months). The first and final questionnaires were interviewer administered during a face to face interview. A shorter questionnaire containing only the SF-36 and another health status measure was sent by post to each patient in the interim.


METHODS
People aged 65 years or above who were new referrals to community based occupational therapy or physiotherapy services in three areas in north west England.


RESULTS
Response and completion rates for the postal questionnaire were lower than expected, even though all the patients had already had a face to face interview and had therefore completed the SF-36 once. Only 34 of 56 respondents (60.7%) completed all the items on the SF-36.


CONCLUSIONS
All those planning to use the SF-36 (and similar measures) with older populations should be sensitive to the problems of postal administration. Non-return of questionnaires, high levels of missing data on those that are received, and ambiguities in response may mean that other measures, or perhaps alternative research methods, are more appropriate.
Public Health Research and Resource Centre, University of Salford.
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Mallinson
D000368:Aged; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D013222:State Medicine; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology