Five-year stability in associations of health-related quality of life measures in community-dwelling older adults: the Rancho Bernardo Study.
OBJECTIVE
This study examines the five-year stability of the association of SF-12 and SF-6D scores with scores on the longer SF-36 and its domains in community-dwelling older men and women.


METHODS
Participants were 653 men and 917 women aged 50 and older who completed mailed surveys of HRQOL (1995, 2000). SF-36 physical (PCS) and mental (MCS) component scores, domain scores; SF-12 PCS and MCS scores; and SF-6D scores were computed.


RESULTS
Average age in 1995 was 68.2 ± 10.7 for men and 69.8 ± 11.3 for women. In 1995 and 2000, men had significantly higher scores on all measures (P's < 0.001). Sex-specific Pearson correlations of SF-12 PCS and MCS scores with SF-36 PCS and MCS scores ranged from 0.91 to 0.97 (P's < 0.000). Health utility scores (SF-6D) were also associated with SF-36 PCS and MCS scores, but correlations were lower, ranging from 0.61 to 0.79 (P's < 0.000). Age-stratified comparisons of 5-year change scores for SF-36 PCS showed significant declines in physical health for both men and women within all four age-groups (50-59, 60-69, 70-79, 80+) with steepest declines in the oldest age-group (age 80+). Over time, mental health scores showed significant modest improvement in the younger age-groups but declines in men >70 and women >80 years. The SF-6D scores improved somewhat for the youngest men and women but mean change scores declined for the other age-groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Similar conclusions would result using either instrument SF-12 or SF-36. However, SF-6D and SF-36 assess, at least in part, different underlying aspects of HRQOL. Both age and sex impact HRQOL.
Der-Martirosian
Claudia
C
Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0607, La Jolla, CA 92093-0631, USA. cldermartirosian@ucsd.edu
Kritz-Silverstein
Donna
D
Barrett-Connor
Elizabeth
E
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012112:Residential Facilities; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires