Assessing the utility of five domains in SF-12 Health Status Questionnaire in an AIDS clinical trial.
OBJECTIVE
To assess a shortened quality-of-life (QoL) measurement tool in a population with advanced HIV infection.


METHODS
Five domains (seven items) in a 12-item questionnaire (SF-12) were compared with those same domains in a 39-item questionnaire (SF-39). Data were collected using SF-39 in a randomized clinical trial for the prevention of cytomegalovirus disease.


METHODS
The performance of SF-12 relative to SF-39 was evaluated within each domain by comparing QoL scores at baseline and over time, assessing the reliability and validity for both instruments, assessing item consistency and discrimination within instruments, and implementing event-time analyses that quantified dependence of the hazard for death and progression of disease (POD) on baseline values.


RESULTS
Baseline measures are similar for both instruments, with high correlation within each domain. The slopes over time for the SF-12 and SF-39 domains are also similar. Both the SF-12 and SF-39 domains have satisfactory reliabilities and perfect discrimination. The hazard ratios for death and POD are similar for both instruments within a domain. All SF-12 and most SF-39 domains are highly predictive for death but are not highly predictive for POD.


CONCLUSIONS
For the domains considered, SF-12 is a reasonable and effective replacement for SF-39 in studies of patients with advanced HIV disease. SF-12 reduces item redundancy and the burden of data requirements for both investigators and patients; consequently, it may improve compliance with form completion.
Han
Cong
C
Division of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, 2221 University Avenue SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414, USA.
Pulling
Christopher C
CC
Telke
Susan E
SE
Huppler Hullsiek
Katherine
K
D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications; D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D015774:Ganciclovir / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D015774:Ganciclovir