title: The SF-36v2 and SF-12v2 health surveys in New Zealand: norms, scoring coefficients and cross-country comparisons.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To provide New Zealand population norms for version 2 of the SF-36 and SF-12 health surveys and report scoring coefficients that enable the construction of Physical and Mental Component Summary scores from New Zealand SF-36v2 and SF-12v2 data.
  
  
  METHODS
  Norms for the SF-36v2 and scoring coefficients for the Physical and Mental Component Summary scores are estimated using 2006/07 New Zealand Health Survey data, which included 12,488 adults (aged 15 years and over). Norms for the SF-12v2 are derived from 2008 New Zealand General Social Survey data, including 8,721 adults. Comparisons are made between New Zealand norms for versions 1 and 2 of the SF-36 instrument. In addition, New Zealand SF-36v2 and SF-12v2 norms and the scoring coefficients are compared with those for the United States and South Australia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Differences between: 1) New Zealand population norms for the SF-36 versions 1 and 2; and 2) SF-36v2 and SF-12v2 population norms for New Zealand and those for the United States and South Australia highlight the importance of using version-specific and country-specific population norms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The analysis reported here allows for the appropriate use of the SF-36v2 and SF-12v2 instruments in New Zealand.
authors: Social and Cultural Statistics Business Unit, Statistics New Zealand, Wellington 6140, New Zealand. margreet.frieling@stats.govt.nz
authors: Margreet A
authors: MA
authors: Frieling
authors: Walter R
authors: WR
authors: Davis
authors: Grace
authors: G
authors: Chiang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult