title: The Short Form 36 English and Chinese versions were equivalent in a multiethnic Asian population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The primary aim of this article was to evaluate measurement equivalence of the English and Chinese versions of the Short Form 36 version 2 (SF-36v2) and Short Form 6D (SF-6D).
  
  
  METHODS
  In this cross-sectional study, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was measured from 4,973 ethnic Chinese subjects using the SF-36v2 questionnaire. Measurement equivalence of domain and utility scores for the English- and Chinese-language SF-36v2 and SF-6D were assessed by examining the score differences between the two languages using linear regression models, with and without adjustment for known determinants of HRQoL. Equivalence was achieved if the 90% confidence interval (CI) of the differences in scores, due to language, fell within a predefined equivalence margin.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with English-speaking Chinese, Chinese-speaking Chinese were significantly older (47.6 vs. 55.5 years). All SF-36v2 domains were equivalent after adjusting for known HRQoL. SF-6D utility/items had the 90% CI either fully or partially overlap their predefined equivalence margin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The English- and Chinese-language versions of the SF-36v2 and SF-6D demonstrated equivalence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, National University of Singapore, c/o National University Hospital, University Medicine Cluster, Level 10, NUHS Tower Block, 1E Kent Ridge Road, Singapore 119228.
authors.forename: Maudrene L S
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Hwee-Lin
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Wee
authors.forename: Jeannette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Derrick
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Heng
authors.forename: E-Shyong
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Tai
authors.forename: Julian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thumboo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000465:Algorithms; D044466:Asian People / Q000208:ethnology*; D002681:China; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D012846:Singapore / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires