title: WOMAC and SF-36: instruments for evaluating the health-related quality of life of elderly people with total hip arthroplasty. A descriptive study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Quality-of-life results have increasingly been evaluated among patients undergoing joint replacements. The objective of this study was to compare two assessment instruments for health-related quality of life (one generic and the other specific), among elderly patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional descriptive study in a reference hospital in the region of Campinas.
  
  
  METHODS
  The subjects were 88 elderly outpatients aged 60 years or over who underwent primary total hip arthroplasty. Two instruments for assessing health-related quality of life were applied: the generic Medical Study 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and the specific Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). Cronbach's alpha and the ceiling and floor effects of the instruments were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The scores from both instruments showed that issues of a physical nature affected these elderly people's quality of life most. The pain and stiffness dimensions of WOMAC showed ceiling effects and only the functional capacity and pain dimensions of the SF-36 did not show the ceiling effect. The SF-36 presented floor effects in the dimensions of physical and emotional aspects. Cronbach's alpha was considered satisfactory in both instruments (α > 0.70).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The floor and ceiling effects that were observed suggest that these instruments may present some limitations in detecting changes to the majority of the SF-36 dimensions, except for functional capacity and pain, and to the pain and stiffness dimensions of WOMAC, when applied to elderly people with total hip arthroplasty.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mariana Kátia
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Rampazo-Lacativa
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ariene Angelini dos
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: School of Medical Sciences, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Arlete Maria Valente
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Coimbra
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: D'Elboux
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019644:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006621:Hip Joint / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000523:psychology; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*