Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

LIVE: Thursday 27th June 2024, 18:00-19:30 (CEST)
Join our expert panel to discover why you need to understand the drivers of non-adherence in your patients, and how you can optimize medication adherence in your clinics to drastically improve patient outcomes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Health and Quality of Life Outcomes
Published in: Health and Quality of Life Outcomes 1/2003

Open Access 01-12-2003 | Research

Cultural Issues in Using the SF-36 Health Survey in Asia: Results from Taiwan

Authors: Hsu-Min Tseng, Jui-fen Rachel Lu, Barbara Gandek

Published in: Health and Quality of Life Outcomes | Issue 1/2003

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

The feasibility of using the SF-36 in non-Western cultures is important for researchers seeking to understand cultural influences upon health status perceptions. This paper reports on the performance of the Taiwan version of the SF-36, including the implications of cultural influences.

Methods

A total of 1191 volunteered subjects from the general population answered the translated SF-36 Taiwan version, which was developed following IQOLA project protocols.

Results

Results from tests of scaling assumptions and reliability generally were satisfactory. Convergent validity, as assessed by comparing the SF-36 to a mental health oriented inventory, was acceptable. Results of principal components analysis were similar to US results for many scales. However, differences were seen for the Vitality scale which was a stronger measure of mental health than physical health in Taiwan. Results are compared to those from other Asian studies and the U.S.

Conclusion

The results raise important questions regarding cultural influences in international studies of health status assessment. Further research into the conceptualization and components of mental health in Asian countries is warranted.
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
Literature
1.
Ellwood PM: Outcome management: A technology of patient experience [Shattuck lecture]. N Engl J Med 1988, 318: 1549–1556.PubMedCrossRef
2.
Bullinger M: German translation and psychometric testing of the SF-36 Health Survey: preliminary results from the IQOLA Project. Social Science & Medicine 1995, 41: 1359–1366. 10.1016/0277-9536(95)00115-NCrossRef
3.
Cutler DM, McClellan M, Newhouse JP: What has increased medical-care spending. American Economic Review 1998, 88: 132–136.
4.
Awad AG, Voruganti LN: Intervention research in psychosis: issues related to the assessment of quality of life. Schizophrenia Bulletin 2000, 26: 557–564.PubMedCrossRef
5.
Goh CR, Lee KS, Tan TC, Wang TL, Tan CH, Wong J, Ang PT, Chan ME, Clinch J, Olweny CL, Schipper H: Measuring quality of life in different cultures: translation of the Functional Living Index for Cancer (FLIC) into Chinese and Malay in Singapore. Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore 1996, 25: 323–334.PubMed
6.
Ware J. E., Jr., Gandek B: Overview of the SF-36 Health Survey and the International Quality of Life Assessment (IQOLA) Project. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 1998, 51: 903–912. 10.1016/S0895-4356(98)00081-XPubMedCrossRef
7.
Bullinger M, Alonso J, Apolone G, Leplege A, Sullivan M, Wood-Dauphinee S, Gandek B, Wagner A, Aaronson N, Bech P, Fukuhara S, Kaasa S, Ware J. E., Jr.: Translating health status questionnaires and evaluating their quality: the IQOLA Project approach. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 1998, 51: 913–923. 10.1016/S0895-4356(98)00082-1PubMedCrossRef
8.
Ren XS, Amick B., 3rd, Zhou L, Gandek B: Translation and psychometric evaluation of a Chinese version of the SF-36 Health Survey in the United States. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 1998, 51: 1129–1138. 10.1016/S0895-4356(98)00104-8PubMedCrossRef
9.
Lam CL, Gandek B, Ren XS, Chan MS: Tests of scaling assumptions and construct validity of the Chinese (HK) version of the SF-36 Health Survey. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 1998, 51: 1139–1147. 10.1016/S0895-4356(98)00105-XPubMedCrossRef
10.
Steward AL, Ware JE: Measuring Functioning and Well-Being: The Medical Outcomes Study Approach. Durham, NC, Duke University Press 1992.
11.
Mchorney CA, Ware JE, Rogers W, Raczek AE, Lu JFR: The validity and relative precision of MOS short- and long-form health status scales and Dartmouth COOP charts. Medical Care 1992, 30: Supplement MS253–65.CrossRef
12.
McHorney CA, Kosinski M, Ware J. E., Jr.: Comparisons of the costs and quality of norms for the SF-36 health survey collected by mail versus telephone interview: results from a national survey. Medical Care 1994, 32: 551–567.PubMedCrossRef
13.
Chen Ching-Yu, Wu En-Chang.: A biopsychosoical model to assess the psychosomatic symptoms in college students of National Taiwan University. Chinese Journal of Mental Health 1987, 3: 89–105.
14.
Ware JE, Harris WJ, Gandek B, Rogers BW: MAP-R for Windows: Multitrait-Multi-Item Analysis Program - Revised User's Guide. MA: Boston, Health Assessment Lab 1997.
15.
Gandek B, Ware J. E., Jr.: Methods for validating and norming translations of health status questionnaires: the IQOLA Project approach. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 1998, 51: 953–959. 10.1016/S0895-4356(98)00086-9PubMedCrossRef
16.
Nunally JC, Bernstein IR: Psychometric theory. NY, McGraw -Hill 1994.
17.
Fukuhara S, Ware J. E., Jr., Kosinski M, Wada S, Gandek B: Psychometric and clinical tests of validity of the Japanese SF-36 Health Survey. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 1998, 51: 1045–1053. 10.1016/S0895-4356(98)00096-1PubMedCrossRef
18.
McHorney CA, Ware J. E., Jr., Lu JF, Sherbourne CD: The MOS 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36): III. Medical Care 1994, 32: 40–66.PubMedCrossRef
19.
Gandek B, Ware J. E., Jr., Aaronson NK, Alonso J, Apolone G, Bjorner J, Brazier J, Bullinger M, Fukuhara S, Kaasa S, Leplege A, Sullivan M: Tests of data quality, scaling assumptions, and reliability of the SF-36 in eleven countries: results from the IQOLA Project. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 1998, 51: 1149–1158. 10.1016/S0895-4356(98)00106-1PubMedCrossRef
20.
Aaronson NK, Muller M, Cohen PD, Essink-Bot ML, Fekkes M, Sanderman R, Sprangers MA, te Velde A, Verrips E: Translation, validation, and norming of the Dutch language version of the SF-36 Health Survey in community and chronic disease populations. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 1998, 51: 1055–1068. 10.1016/S0895-4356(98)00097-3PubMedCrossRef
21.
Wagner AK, Gandek B, Aaronson NK, Acquadro C, Alonso J, Apolone G, Bullinger M, Bjorner J, Fukuhara S, Kaasa S, Leplege A, Sullivan M, Wood-Dauphinee S, Ware J. E., Jr.: Cross-cultural comparisons of the content of SF-36 translations across 10 countries: results from the IQOLA Project. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 1998, 51: 925–932. 10.1016/S0895-4356(98)00083-3PubMedCrossRef
22.
Keller SD, Ware J. E., Jr., Bentler PM, Aaronson NK, Alonso J, Apolone G, Bjorner JB, Brazier J, Bullinger M, Kaasa S, Leplege A, Sullivan M, Gandek B: Use of structural equation modeling to test the construct validity of the SF-36 Health Survey in ten countries: results from the IQOLA Project. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 1998, 51: 1179–1188. 10.1016/S0895-4356(98)00110-3PubMedCrossRef
23.
Fukuhara S, Ware JE, Kosinski Jr M, Wada S, Gandek B: Psychometric and clinical tests of validity of the Japanese SF-36 Health Survey. Medical Decision Making 1996, 16: 169–177.CrossRef
24.
Chen AY, Daley J, Thibault GE: Angina patients' ratings of current health and health without angina: associations with severity of angina and comorbidity. Medical Decision Making 1996, 16: 169–177.PubMedCrossRef
25.
Lin KM: Traditional Chinese medical beliefs and their relevance for mental illness and psychiatry. Normal and abnormal behavior in Chinese culture (Edited by: Kleinman A and Ln TY). Boston, MA, Kluwer Boston 1980, 95.
Metadata
Title
Cultural Issues in Using the SF-36 Health Survey in Asia: Results from Taiwan
Authors
Hsu-Min Tseng
Jui-fen Rachel Lu
Barbara Gandek
Publication date
01-12-2003
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Health and Quality of Life Outcomes / Issue 1/2003
Electronic ISSN: 1477-7525
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1477-7525-1-72

Other articles of this Issue 1/2003

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes 1/2003 Go to the issue

Research

Evaluation of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) Spanish Version 4 in South America: Classic Psychometric and Item Response Theory Analyses

Research

Patients' satisfaction and quality of life in coronary artery disease

Research

Changes in health-related quality of life from 6 months to 2 years after discharge from intensive care

Review

Assessment of oral health related quality of life

Review

Quality of life and psychosocial adjustment in gynecologic cancer survivors

Research

A new measure of patient satisfaction with ocular hypotensive medications: The Treatment Satisfaction Survey for Intraocular Pressure (TSS-IOP)