title: Validity of the SF-6D index in Brazilian patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the construct validity of the SF-6D among a sample of Brazilian patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a validation and cross-cultural adaptation study. Preference evaluation instruments were applied: SF-6D, EQ-5D, VAS, TTO and SG. Clinical and sociodemographic parameters were obtained. Descriptive statistics, correlation coefficients and ANOVA were used to analyze the results.
  
  
  RESULTS
  200 patients were evaluated, among whom the non-completion rates were 0.5% for VAS, 1.5% for TTO and 6.5% for SG. The preferences derived from the SF-6D presented the strongest correlations with EQ-5D and HAQ, followed by VAS, TTO and SG, in decreasing order. The correlations with clinical and sociodemographic parameters were, in most cases, small. The preferences obtained with the SF-6D could discriminate patients with different HAQ levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The SF-6D is a valid method for measuring preferences in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in a Brazilian context.
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Division, School of Medicine, Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil. alecampolina@gmail.com
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gonçalves Campolina
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bruscato Bortoluzzo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bosi Ferraz
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mesquita Ciconelli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D001938:Brazil; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D054521:Cultural Competency; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D055815:Young Adult