An assessment of the construct validity of the SF-12 summary scores across ethnic groups

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to determine the construct validity of the 12-item Short Form health survey questionnaire (SF-12) across ethnic groups in a large community sample of the United Kingdom. METHODS: A postal survey was carried out in English using a questionnaire booklet, containing the SF-12 and a number of other items relating to experiences of chronic illness and utilization of health care services. The dataset was the National Survey of NHS Patients. The sample consisted of 1000 residents within each Health Authority in England who were randomly selected from the electoral registers, giving an initial sample of 100000. RESULTS: A total of 61 426 (61.4 per cent) questionnaires were returned; 94.3 per cent of respondents classified…