Using the Short Form-36 with Multiple Sclerosis Patients in Five Countries

A Cross-Cultural Comparison

Bibliographic Data

ID13650540
AuthorsLilian Pfennings (Department of Medical Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, corresponding author), Leo Cohen (Department of Medical Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam), Deborah Miller (0000-0002-8026-1854, The Mellen Centre for Multiple Sclerosis, Treatment and Research, Cleveland), Laurent Gerbaud (0000-0001-8656-5544, Department of Health Economy, Hôtel-Dieu, Clermont-Ferrand), Luc Vleugels (National MS Centre, Melsbroek), Jennifer Freeman (0000-0001-5128-4208), Jenny Freeman (0000-0002-4072-9758, National Hospital for Neurology, and Neurosurgery, Queen Square Hospital, London), Didier Vernay (Department of Neurology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Clermont-Ferrand), Sylvie Biolay (Department of Health Economy, Hôtel-Dieu, Clermont-Ferrand), Pierre Ketelaer (National MS Centre, Melsbroek), Alan Thompson (National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square Hospital, London), Alan J Thompson (0000-0002-4333-8496, University College London), Chris Polman (Department of Neurology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam), Chris H Polman (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam), Henk van der Ploeg (Department of Medical Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam)
Year1999
Volume85
Issue1
Pages19-31
Publication date1999-08-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePsychological Reports (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0033-2941 • E-ISSN: 1558-691X
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.2466/pr0.1999.85.1.19
PMID10575971
OpenAlexW2124373242
LanguageEN
References cited25

Questionnaires measuring health-related quality of life are increasingly used in international studies of medical effectiveness. It is important to know if data from these instruments are comparable across countries. We initiated a collaboration among five research groups--from the USA, The Netherlands, Belgium, France, and the UK--in the field of health-related quality of life in multiple sclerosis. All groups used the 36-item Short Form Health Survey. The goal of our study was to make a cross-cultural comparison. In the five countries under study the sample size varied from 50 to 134 patients with multiple sclerosis. The survey was completed by a total of 457 patients, who were heterogeneous in relation to age, duration of illness, severity and type of multiple sclerosis. There appeared to be major differences among the samples in scores on each of the eight scales. These findings may be influenced by differences in method of recruitment, demographic and disease-related characteristics, administration, and cultural factors. After having performed a number of analyses, it appeared that the differences were mainly attributable to sampling effects; however, cultural influences could not be excluded

Cross-cultural · Cross-cultural studies · Cultural diversity · Developmental psychology · Disease · Multiple sclerosis · Pathology · Psychiatry · Quality of life (healthcare · Sample (material · Sociology · Anthropology · Clinical Psychology · Demography · Medicine · Multiple Sclerosis Research Studies · Psychology · Social Psychology · Systemic Sclerosis and Related Diseases · Gerontology

Tools

Open DOISci-Hub