Skip to main content
Log in

Construct validation of the USA-Spanish version of the SF-36 health survey in a Cuban-American population with benign prostatic hyperplasia

  • Published:
Quality of Life Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study examined the USA-Spanish version of the SF-36 health survey (validated in Mexican- Americans) and tested its construct validity in Cuban-Americans with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The study evaluated the SF-36 and American Urological Association (AUA) Symptom Index scores of 264 individuals with BPH. Individuals were assigned to one of the following groups: non-Hispanics who received the English version, Cubans who received the English version and Cubans who received the Spanish version. The objective was to determine the correlation between the individuals' SF-36 and AUA Symptom Index scores. It was expected that patients in the severe category would have the lowest quality of life (QoL) scores. The analysis was conducted using a MANOVA with a planned comparisons procedure. For all eight scales, the English and Spanish versions of the SF-36 were able to classify individuals with mild/moderate symptoms of BPH as having statistically higher QoL scores than those with severe symptoms of BPH. We concluded that the USA-Spanish version of the SF-36 can differentiate between levels of symptom severity in individuals with BPH. More importantly the construct validity of the English and Spanish versions of the SF-36 was demonstrated through significant correlation with the theorized constructs.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Marín G, Marín BV. Research with Hispanic Populations. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications Inc. 1991: 1-7.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Patrick DL, Sittampalam Y, Somerville SM, Carter WB, Bergner M. A cross-cultural comparison health status values. Am J Public Health 1985; 75(12): 1402.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Deyo RA. Pitfalls in measuring the health status of Mexican Americans: comparative validity of the English and Spanish Sickness Impact Profile. Am J Public Health 1984; 74: 569.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Chwalow AJ, Lurie A, Bean K et al. A French version of the Sickness Impact Profile (SIP): stages in the cross cultural validation of a generic quality of life scale. Fundamental Clin Pharmacol, 1992; 6: 319.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Aaronson NK, Acquadro C, Alonso J et al. International quality of life assessment (IQOLA). Qual Life Res 1992; 1: 349.

    Google Scholar 

  6. WHOQOL Group. Study protocol for the World Health Organization project to develop a quality of life assessment instrument (WHOQOL). Qual Life Res 1993; 2: 153.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Brorsson B, Ifver J, Hays RD. The Swedish Health-Related Quality of Life Survey (SWED-QUAL). Qual Life Res 1993; 2: 33.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Erdman RA, Passchier J, Kooijman M, Stronks DL. The Dutch version of the Nottingham Health Profile: investigation of psychometric aspects. Psychol Rep, 1993; 72(3): 1027.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Mathias SD, Fifer SK, Patrick DL. Rapid translation of quality of life measures for international clinical trials: avoiding errors in the minimalist approach. Qual Life Res, 1994; 3(6): 403-12.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Ware JE, Snow KK, Kosinski M, Gandek B. SF-36 Health Survey, Manual and Interpretation Guide. Boston, MA: The Health Institute, New England Medical Center, 1993.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Ware JE, Keller SD, Gandek B, Brazier JE, Sullivan M, IQOLA Group. Evaluating translations of health status questionnaires: methods from the IQOLA project. Int J Technol Assess Health Care 1995; 11: 525-551.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Ware JE, Gandek B, Keller SD, IQOLA Group. Evaluating instruments used cross-nationally: methods from the IQOLA project. In: Spilker B, ed. Quality of Life and Pharmacoeconomics in Clinical Trials, 2nd edn. Philadelphia: Lippincott-Raven Press, 1996: 681-692.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Barry MJ, Fowler FJ, O'Leary MP et al. Correlation of the American Urological Association Symptom Index with self-administered versions of the Madsen-Iversen, Boyarsky and Maine Medical Assessment Program symptom indexes. J Urol 1992; 148: 1558.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Barry MJ, Fowler FJ, O'Leary MP, et al. The American Urological Association Symptom Index for benign prostatic hyperplasia. J Urol 1992; 148: 1549.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Arocho R, Kason NM, Colón B, McMillan, CA. Translation and validation of the American Urological Association Symptom Index into Spanish. Clin Therapeut 1995; 17(4): 777-785.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Goodman LA. Snowball sampling. Ann Mathemat Stat, 1961; 32: 148.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Eri LM, Tveter KJ. ‘Measuring the quality of life of patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia.’ Eur Urol, 1992; 21: 257-262.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Fowler FJ, Barry MJ. ‘Quality of life assessment for evaluating benign prostatic hyperplasia treatments: an example of using a condition-specific index.’ Eur Urol 1993; 24(Suppl 1): 24-27.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Tsang KK, Garraway WM. ‘Impact of benign prostatic hyperplasia on general well-being of men.’ Prostate 1993; 23: 1-7.

    Google Scholar 

  20. McDowell I, Newell C. Measuring Health. A Guide to Rating Scales and Questionnaires. New York: Oxford University Press, 1987: 26-35.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Stewart AL, Hays RD, Ware JE Jr. Methods of validating MOS health measures. In: Stewart AL, Ware JE Jr, eds Measuring Functioning and Well-Being: The Medical Outcomes Study Approach. Durham, NC, Duke University Press, 1992: 309-324.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Stevens J. Applied Multivariate Statistics for the Social Sciences, 2nd edn. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc, 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Keppel G. Design and Analysis: Researcher's Handbook. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall Inc, 1991.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Arocho, R., McMillan, C.A. & Sutton-Wallace, P. Construct validation of the USA-Spanish version of the SF-36 health survey in a Cuban-American population with benign prostatic hyperplasia. Qual Life Res 7, 121–126 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008801308886

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008801308886

Navigation