Measuring perceived health outcomes in non-western culture: does SF-36 have a place?
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Date
2002-12-28
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Abstract
This study explored the usefulness of a generic health assessment tool SF-36 in measuring perceived health outcomes in a developing-country setting. The adapted Bangla version was administered in 10 villages of Matlab sub-district in Bangladesh during second half of 1999. Respondents included currently-married males and females selected randomly from households stratified according to their association with women-focused development interventions of BRAC. Findings revealed that the respondents from BRAC households perceived their health status marginally better than the poor non-member group in most domains studied, sometimes significantly so, e.g. general and mental health (p < 0.05). The respondents from BRAC reported better 'current health' than their non-member counterparts. The gender difference in assessment of health status was noted among the groups. Age, education, and poverty were important determinants of perceived health status. SF-36 proved to be a useful tool for self-assessment of health status and group comparison when properly modified for cross-cultural adaptation.
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Journal of Health, Population, and Nutrition.
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Ahmed SM, Rana AK, Chowdhury M, Bhuiya A. Measuring perceived health outcomes in non-western culture: does SF-36 have a place? Journal of Health, Population, and Nutrition. 2002 Dec; 20(4): 334-42