Medknow Publications on behalf of the Neurological Society of India
Abstract
Background and Aims: Two widely used evaluation tools for the quality
of life are the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and World
Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment (100-item version)
(WHOQOL-100), however, these tools have not been compared for patients
with stroke to date. The specific objectives of this study were: 1) to
study the effect of stroke on quality of life (QOL) as measured by the
SF-36 and by the WHOQOL-100, and 2) to compare these two instruments.
Settings and Design: Seventy patients who were admitted to the
neurology clinic six months after stroke were included in this study.
Materials and Methods: As a data-collecting device, the SF-36 and
WHOQOL-100 scales were used. An additional questionnaire was
administered to obtain demographic data. Statistical Analysis: Pearson
correlation analysis was performed and Blant-Altman Plots were used.
Psychometric analysis was performed. Results: In stroke, the most
flustered domains of quality of life were vitality and general health
perception fields in the SF-36 and in the WHOQL-100, independence level
field, overall QOL and general health perceptions. While there was a
fair degree of relationship (r= 0.25-0.50) between general health
perceptions, physical, social and mental fields that were similar
fields of scales, a fair and moderate to good relationship was found
between different fields. Limits of agreement in similar domains of the
two instruments were very large. In all four demonstrated Bland-Altman
plots, there was agreement of the scales in the measurements of similar
fields of quality of life. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that
both the SF-36 and WHOQOL-100 quality of life scales are useful in the
practical evaluation of patients with stroke