Measuring Health in Patients With Cervical and Lumbosacral Spinal Disorders: Is the 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey a Valid Alternative for the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey?
Abstract
Lee CE, Browell LM, Jones DL. Measuring health in patients with cervical and lumbosacral spinal disorders: is the 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey a valid alternative for the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey?
Objectives
To determine the convergent validity of the 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey, version 2 (SF-12v2), with 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey, version 2 (SF-36v2), in patients with spinal disorders, and to determine other key factors that might further explain the variances between the 2 surveys.
Design
Cross-sectional study.
Setting
Orthopedic ambulatory care.
Participants
Eligible participants (N=98; 24 with cervical, 74 with lumbosacral disorders) who were aged 18 years and older, scheduled to undergo spinal surgery, and completed the SF-36v2.
Interventions
Not applicable.
Main Outcome Measures
SF-36v2 and SF-12v2 (extracted from the SF-36v2).
Results
The 2 summary scores, physical and mental component scores (r range, .88–.97), and most of the scale scores (r range, .81–.99) correlated strongly between the SF-12v2 and SF-36v2, except for the general health score (cervical group, r=.69; lumbosacral group, r=.76). Stepwise linear regression analyses showed the SF-12v2 general health scores (cervical: β=.61, P<.001; lumbosacral: β=.68, P<.001) and the level of comorbidities (cervical: β=−.37, P=.014; lumbosacral: β=−.18, P=.039) were significant predictors of the SF-36v2 general health score in both groups, whereas age (β=.32, P<.001) and smoking history (β=−.22, P=.005) were additional predictors in the lumbosacral group.
Conclusions
SF-12v2 is a practical and valid alternative for the SF-36v2 in measuring health of patients with cervical or lumbosacral spinal disorders. The validity of the SF-12v2 general health score interpretation is further improved when the level of comorbidities, age, and smoking history are taken into consideration.
cDepartment of Orthopaedics, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV.
Reprint requests to C. Ellen Lee, PhD, PT, Dept of Physical Therapy, School of Medical Rehabilitation, University of Manitoba, R106 - 771 McDermot Ave, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0T6, Canada
No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit upon the authors or upon any organization with which the authors are associated.
ABSTRACT