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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

The MOS 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36). I. Conceptual framework and item selection.

A 36-item short-form (SF-36) was constructed to survey health status in the Medical Outcomes Study. The SF-36 was designed for use in clinical practice and research, health policy evaluations, and general population surveys. The SF-36 includes one multi-item scale that assesses eight health concepts: 1) limitations in physical activities because of health problems; 2) limitations in social activities because of physical or emotional problems; 3) limitations in usual role activities because of physical health problems; 4) bodily pain; 5) general mental health (psychological distress and well-being); 6) limitations in usual role activities because of emotional problems; 7) vitality (energy and fatigue); and 8) general health perceptions. The survey was constructed for self-administration by persons 14 years of age and older, and for administration by a trained interviewer in person or by telephone. The history of the development of the SF-36, the origin of specific items, and the logic underlying their selection are summarized. The content and features of the SF-36 are compared with the 20-item Medical Outcomes Study short-form.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1992

Canadian heart health surveys: a profile of cardiovascular risk. Survey methods and data analysis. Canadian Heart Health Surveys Research Group.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the methods used in nine provincial surveys carried out as part of the Canadian Heart Health Initiative. DESIGN: Population-based cross-sectional surveys, following a core standardized protocol, implemented by provincial departments of health in collaboration with Health and Welfare Canada. Data were obtained through a home interview and a clinic visit. A standard manual of field operations and standardized training procedures were used in all provinces. SETTING: Nine Canadian provinces during the period 1986 to 1990. PARTICIPANTS: A probability sample of 26,293 men and women aged 18 to 74 years was selected from the health insurance registries in each province. Over 30% of the participants had post-secondary education. About 50% were 18 to 34 years old. OUTCOME MEASURES: Data on sociodemographic characteristics, hypertensive and diabetic status, knowledge and awareness of the causes and consequences of cardiovascular disease and two blood pressure measurements were obtained in a home interview. During a clinic visit, data were collected on height, weight (waist and hip circumferences in four provinces), two blood pressure measures and a blood sample. Total plasma cholesterol, triglycerides and high- and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were measured in the Lipid Research Laboratory, University of Toronto and St. Michael's Hospital. MAIN RESULTS: Of the subjects invited to participate in the survey, 78% were interviewed, 69% attended the clinic and 64% provided a fasting specimen (8 hours or more). The response rates were slightly lower for men aged 18 to 34, for women aged 65 to 74 and for those with fewer years of education. Data from the provincial surveys (Ontario will complete the survey in 1992) are being compiled in the Canadian Heart Health Database. CONCLUSION: The process followed in the implementation of the provincial heart health surveys is a model of how provincial departments of health may carry out epidemiologic investigations in support of their mandate. The approach illustrates how a country-wide database can be built through partnerships among different levels of government. The use of community health nurses was instrumental in the efficient implementation of the surveys and in the realization of the relatively high rates of response attained.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Improving the quality of community health surveys and community health promotion campaigns by feedback from the community: experience from the Wallsend community and health project.

A lifestyle and health risk survey was conducted in two socially disadvantaged Collector's Districts, as the basis for a health promotion intervention in one of the Districts. After community input into the planning, and local advance publicity, 395 people responded to the survey (a response rate of 39%). Three sources of community feedback were used: (i) reasons for refusal to participate; (ii) written comments solicited at a two-month follow-up; (iii) later, in-depth interviews with a subset of respondents. The data from this feedback related both to the process and outcomes of the survey; the latter included increased personal and community awareness of health, as well as lifestyle changes. The data are discussed in terms of their representativeness and the factors influencing participation, the implications of the low response rate, the stages of health behaviour change, and the potential conflict between scientific and human value-systems in community research.

Australia↗
PubMed1978

The Personal Health Survey.

The Personal Health Survey (PHS) is a 200-item inventory that consists of 12 scales of empirically constructed items that relate to symptomatology from the principal psychophysiological supporting systems. The PHS was administered to 730 Ss in five clinical groups. Base rates of responding T or F to each item were compared across the five diagnostic groups. The test results were factor analyzed with a principal component method combined with Varimax rotation. The factors were orthogonal. Five main factors were extracted from the overall population and from each of the five subgroups and compared as to item composition. Administration, scoring, interpretation and validation of the empirical and factored scales are discussed.

Factor Analysis, Statistical↗
PubMed1989

Fenuafala health survey: the ecology of health and disease on a coral atoll village.

The atoll community of Fenuafala was surveyed during July-August, 1987. A disproportionate demographic structure was found: There was a large, young population with an uneven sex distribution in the adolescent cohorts. Adoption of relatives was frequent. Employment varied according to sex, with women restricted from horticulture, fisheries, and hard labour. The use of alcohol and tobacco was common. Causes of mortality included cancer, heart failure, meningitis, alcoholism, and accidents. Bacterial and fungal skin infections were prevalent. There were several cases of congenital disorders. Malaria, leprosy, and most other tropical diseases were absent. However, there was a single case of filariasis. Musculoskeletal disorders were numerous and more common among women. Falls from trees have resulted in serious sequelae including epilepsy and death. Hypertension, diabetes, and gout appear to be on the increase, but angina and myocardial infarction were not reported. There were also cases of epilepsy and Parkinson's disease.

Ecology↗
PubMed1976

National Health Survey Systems in the European community.

This paper is based on the report of a conference held in October 1975 to discuss the possibilities for collaborative action between countries of the European Community in conducting various forms of health survey. Health interview surveys offer the principal opportunity for such action, and it may be possible to incorporate health questions into multi-purpose international surveys. Health examination surveys are less likely to be developed widely in the immediate future. Hospital in-patient discharge records are collected routinely in many countries, and further international cooperation seems feasible. These possibilities are now being kept under continuous review by a working party.

Costs and Cost Analysis↗
PubMed1991

Symptom sensitivity and sex differences in physical morbidity: a review of health surveys in the United States and The Netherlands.

Health surveys have found higher female morbidity rates, as reflected by indices such as general health status, number of acute conditions or physical symptoms and medical care utilization. Such findings can lead to the conclusion that women are the "sicker sex" in terms of objective health status. However, the size of the sex difference varies with the different indices used to operationalize the morbidity concept. Apart from sex specific conditions, the female morbidity excess seems most substantial with regard to general health status, acute and mild chronic conditions and physical symptoms. Findings from a large health survey in the Netherlands, presented in this article, confirm this picture. Some major methodological sources of bias, that have been held responsible for part of the sex differences found in health surveys, such as the poor definition of the morbidity concept and aspects of the data collection process, are discussed. One explanation for the higher morbidity of women, i.e., the differential perception of physical symptoms by men and women, is elaborated in more detail. The authors suggest that part of the sex differences found in health surveys can be explained by a higher female symptom sensitivity, defined as a readiness to perceive physical sensations as symptoms of illness. Research supporting this symptom sensitivity hypothesis is reviewed and explanations are given. It is suggested that further research on sex differences in morbidity should control for methodological sources of sex bias and should focus explicitly on differences in the perception of physical symptoms by men and women.

Bias↗
PubMed1990

Prevalence of mental disorders among adults in Finland: basic results from the Mini Finland Health Survey.

The Mini Finland Health Survey was an extensive epidemiological study of the Finnish population aged 30 or over; the prevalence of mental disorders was one aspect studied. Prevalence of symptoms in the General Health Questionnaire as well as the prevalence of self-perceived and clinically assessed mental disorders was studied. The total prevalence of clinically assessed mental disorders was 17.4%, 14.8% in the men and 19.5% in the women. A definite disorder was observed for 11.7% of the subjects. About half of the subjects suffering from a mental disorder according to clinical assessment also reported a self-perceived disorder. Of various diagnoses, the most common were phobic and anxiety neurosis (6.2%) and neurotic depression (4.6%). The prevalence of schizophrenia was 1.3%. The highest prevalence was found in the ages 50 to 64 years. The prevalence of psychoses was highest in northern and eastern Finland, and that of neuroses in southern Finland.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Prevalence of selected health characteristics of men. A community health survey in Jerusalem.

The health status of males aged 15 or more years was studied as part of a community health survey in a neighborhood of western Jerusalem. Most subjects (75%) reported that they felt well; clinical appraisals revealed a need for treatment in 33%. Hypertension was found in 14% and coronary heart disease in 6%. Other common disorders included hemorrhoids (16%), varicose veins (11%), overweight (18%), hypercholesterolemia (13%), inguinal hernia (13%), symptoms of prostatic hypertrophy (10%) and diabetes (5%). The prevalence of specific symptoms of emotional ill health ranged from 6 to 23%. A quarter reported serious current problems; 10% were dissatisfied with their present life situation; and 10% had concentration camp experience. Half were current cigarette smokers. The prevalence of most disorders rose in successive age groups. Mean diastolic blood pressure, serum cholesterol, relative weight and the prevalence of cigarette smoking were lower in the oldest age groups. With some exceptions, the age trends were similar to those found in other populations.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Health practices and health status: evidence from the Canada Health Survey.

Data from the Canada Health Survey were analyzed for the interrelationships of health practices and for the association of health practices with health status. Moderate alcohol use, not smoking, and seat belt use formed a cluster representing passive avoidance of direct risks; exercise and immunization made up another component, identified as active avoidance of abstract risks. These six practices clustered in the same fashion for both sexes; but for women, there was an additional factor, the avoidance of sex-specific risks. Separate health practice indices were created for men and women based on these behaviors. Index scores were shown to be significantly associated with four measures of health status. The association was particularly strong for the two indicators of emotional health for both sexes and for all four indicators for women. This study confirms the conclusions of earlier reports based on regional or highly selected samples and extends them to emotional health status; it is the first study to publish comprehensive data on this question from a sample survey representative of an entire national population.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1991

Lot quality assurance sampling techniques in health surveys in developing countries: advantages and current constraints.

Traditional survey methods, which are generally costly and time-consuming, usually provide information at the regional or national level only. The utilization of lot quality assurance sampling (LQAS) methodology, developed in industry for quality control, makes it possible to use small sample sizes when conducting surveys in small geographical or population-based areas (lots). This article describes the practical use of LQAS for conducting health surveys to monitor health programmes in developing countries. Following a brief description of the method, the article explains how to build a sample frame and conduct the sampling to apply LQAS under field conditions. A detailed description of the procedure for selecting a sampling unit to monitor the health programme and a sample size is given. The sampling schemes utilizing LQAS applicable to health surveys, such as simple- and double-sampling schemes, are discussed. The interpretation of the survey results and the planning of subsequent rounds of LQAS surveys are also discussed. When describing the applicability of LQAS in health surveys in developing countries, the article considers current limitations for its use by health planners in charge of health programmes, and suggests ways to overcome these limitations through future research. It is hoped that with increasing attention being given to industrial sampling plans in general, and LQAS in particular, their utilization to monitor health programmes will provide health planners in developing countries with powerful techniques to help them achieve their health programme targets.

Developing Countries↗
PubMed1992

A health survey of radiologic technologists.

A health survey of more than 143,000 radiologic technologists is described. The population was identified from the 1982 computerized files of the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists, which was established in 1926. Inactive members were traced to obtain current addresses or death notifications. More than 6000 technologists were reported to have died. For all registrants who were alive when located, a detailed 16-page questionnaire was sent, covering occupational histories, medical conditions, and other personal and lifestyle characteristics. Nonrespondents were contacted by telephone to complete an abbreviated questionnaire. More than 104,000 responses were obtained. The overall response rate was 79%. Most technologists were female (76%), white (93%), and employed for an average of 12 years; 37% attended college, and approximately 50% never smoked cigarettes. Radiation exposure information was sought from employer records and commercial dosimetry companies. Technologists employed for the longest times had the highest estimated cumulative exposures, with approximately 9% with exposures greater than 5 cGy. There was a high correlation between cumulative occupational exposure and personal exposure to medical radiographs, related, in part, to the association of both factors with attained age. It is interesting that 10% of all technologists allowed others to practice taking radiographs on them during their training. Nearly 4% of the respondents reported having some type of cancer, mainly of the skin (1517), breast (665), and cervix (726). Prospective surveys will monitor cancer mortality rates through use of the National Death Index and cancer incidence through periodic mailings of questionnaires. This is the only occupational study of radiation employees who are primarily women and should provide new information on the possible risks associated with relatively low levels of exposure.

Adult↗