title: The reliability and validity of the SF-36 health survey questionnaire for use with individuals with traumatic brain injury.
abstract: In order to examine the reliability and validity of the SF-36 for use with individuals with TBI, the SF-36 and three measures of health-related problems in persons with TBI (BDI-II, TIRR Symptom Checklist, Health Problems List) were administered to 271 individuals without a disability, 98 individuals with mild TBI, and 228 individuals with moderate-severe TBI. Internal consistency (reliability) was demonstrated for all SF-36 scales. Significant correlations were found between the SF-36 scales and the other measures, with stronger correlations emerging in the TBI groups. The TBI groups obtained significantly lower SF-36 scores than the comparison group, and the mild TBI group scored lower than the moderate-severe group. For the most part, the differences between the TBI groups disappeared when BDI-II scores were controlled for. These findings suggest that the SF-36 is a reliable and valid measure for use with persons with TBI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Mount Sinai Medical Center, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Findler
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cantor
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Haddad
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ashman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results