title: Substitution of SF-36 by SF-12 Among Hong Kong Chinese Older Adults: Secondary Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
abstract: This study aims to examine the appropriateness of substituting the Short-Form 36 (SF-36) by its shortened version (SF-12) in measuring health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in older Chinese population.
  
  
  
  Secondary analysis of two transitional care management programs, conducted from 2009 to 2012, were analyzed (n = 1188, aged 60-97). Participants were discharged patients with respiratory disease, type 2 diabetes, cardiac disease, and renal disease, and were classified according to number of chronic diseases. SF-36 was administered at baseline and 4-week follow-up.
  
  
  
  Both overestimations and underestimations of HRQoL by SF-12 were found. Most domain scores of SF-36 and SF-12 were highly correlated (Spearman correlation (ρ) > 0.85), with the exception of General Health (ρ = 0.64) and Vitality subscales (ρ = 0.82). Multiple linear regression adjusted for demographic characteristics showed that the four out of eight domains of SF-36 and SF-12 were equivalent in measuring the difference across numbers of chronic diseases (all p < 0.05). Paired sample t tests in 989 (83.2 %) who completed the SF-36 survey 4 weeks after baseline showed that SF-12 overestimated the 4-week changes in most of the domains.
  
  
  
  The use of the Chinese version of SF-12v2 for reporting the change over time in quality of life among medical patients after hospital discharge may need to be interpreted with caution. The SF-12 tends to underestimate the difference when compared with the SF-36.
authors: School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, GH519, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
authors: Paul H
authors: PH
authors: Lee
authors: School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, GH519, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong. frances.wong@polyu.edu.hk.
authors: Frances K Y
authors: FK
authors: Wong
authors: School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, GH519, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
authors: Shao Ling
authors: SL
authors: Wang
authors: School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, GH519, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
authors: Susan K Y
authors: SK
authors: Chow
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011788:Quality of Life; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Discharged patients; Elderly; Quality of life; Scale development; Validity