The SF-36: A simple, effective measure of mobility-disability for epidemiological studies |
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Authors: | H E Syddall H J Martin R H Harwood C Cooper A Aihie Sayer |
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Institution: | (1) MRC Epidemiology Resource Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK;(2) Health Services for Older People, Nottingham City Hospital, Nottingham, UK;(3) University Geriatric Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK;(4) MRC Epidemiology Resource Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, SO16 6YD, UK |
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Abstract: | Background Mobility disability is a major problem in older people. Numerous scales exist for the measurement of disability but often
these do not permit comparisons between study groups. The physical functioning (PF) domain of the established and widely used
Short Form-36 (SF-36) questionnaire asks about limitations on ten mobility activities.
Objectives To describe prevalence of mobility disability in an elderly population, investigate the validity of the SF-36 PF score as
a measure of mobility disability, and to establish age and sex specific norms for the PF score.
Methods We explored relationships between the SF-36 PF score and objectively measured physical performance variables among 349 men
and 280 women, 59–72 years of age, who participated in the Hertfordshire Cohort Study (HCS). Normative data were derived from
the Health Survey for England (HSE) 1996.
Results 32% of men and 46% of women had at least some limitation in PF scale items. Poor SF-36 PF scores (lowest fifth of the gender-specific
distribution) were related to: lower grip strength; longer timed-up-and-go, 3m walk, and chair rises test times in men and
women; and lower quadriceps peak torque in women but not men. HSE normative data showed that median PF scores declined with
increasing age in men and women.
Conclusion Our results are consistent with the SF-36 PF score being a valid measure of mobility disability in epidemiological studies.
This approach might be a first step towards enabling simple comparisons of prevalence of mobility disability between different
studies of older people. The SF-36 PF score could usefully complement existing detailed schemes for classification of disability
and it now requires validation against them. |
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Keywords: | Epidemiology physical functioning disability ageing mobility |
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