SF-22

SF-22
Specialty	Psychometrics, Health Survey
Diagnostic method	Health Survey

The SF-22 is a health survey instrument used to measure the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of individuals. It is a derivative of the more widely known SF-36 and SF-12 health surveys, which are part of the Short Form Health Survey family. The SF-22 is designed to provide a comprehensive assessment of an individual's physical and mental health status through a series of questions that cover various health domains.

Development and Purpose

The SF-22 was developed to offer a more concise alternative to the SF-36 while still capturing essential health dimensions. It is particularly useful in clinical settings where time constraints may limit the feasibility of administering longer surveys. The SF-22 includes questions that assess physical functioning, bodily pain, general health perceptions, vitality, social functioning, role limitations due to physical and emotional problems, and mental health.

Structure

The SF-22 consists of 22 questions, each designed to evaluate specific aspects of health. The questions are grouped into several domains:

• Physical Functioning: Assesses the ability to perform physical activities.
• Role Limitations due to Physical Health: Evaluates the impact of physical health on work and daily activities.
• Bodily Pain: Measures the intensity of pain and its effect on normal work.
• General Health Perceptions: Provides an overall evaluation of health.
• Vitality: Assesses energy levels and fatigue.
• Social Functioning: Evaluates the impact of health on social activities.
• Role Limitations due to Emotional Problems: Assesses the impact of emotional problems on work and daily activities.
• Mental Health: Measures psychological distress and well-being.

Scoring

The SF-22 uses a scoring system that converts responses into a scale from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better health status. Each domain is scored separately, and a composite score can be calculated to provide an overall assessment of health-related quality of life.

Applications

The SF-22 is used in various settings, including clinical trials, health services research, and population health surveys. It is valuable for monitoring patient outcomes, evaluating the effectiveness of interventions, and conducting epidemiological studies.

Advantages and Limitations

The SF-22 offers several advantages, including brevity, ease of administration, and the ability to capture a broad range of health dimensions. However, it may not be as comprehensive as the SF-36, and some specific health aspects may not be fully addressed.

Also see

• SF-36
• SF-12
• Health-related quality of life
• Patient-reported outcome measures