Differential item functioning analysis using the SF-36 in patients with lumbar disc herniation: A quality of life research
-
Published:2022-02-17
Issue:3
Volume:15
Page:
-
ISSN:2282-0930
-
Container-title:Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Public Health
-
language:
-
Short-container-title:ebph
Author:
Dehesh Tania,Mahmoodi Marzieh,Iranmanesh Farhad,Dehesh Paria,Farvahari Arash
Abstract
Background: Differential item functioning (DIF) presents when individuals from different groups perceive the meaning of items differently in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) questionnaires. The aim of this study is to distinguish DIF in the SF-36 questionnaire and to determine its effect on comparison of HRQoL scores of lumbar disc herniation (LHD) patients and a healthy population.
Methods: A total of 137 patients with LHD and 691 healthy individuals filled out the Persian version of the SF-36 questionnaire. The Rasch model was used to assess DIF for patients with LDH and a healthy population.
Results: The presence of DIF was determined in 6 of 8 (75%) domain scores between patients with LDH and healthy individuals. Although half of the DIF was categorized as either negligible (3 out of 8; 37.5%), high DIF was observed in 3 out of 8 domains (37.5%). Gender was not flagged as important to DIF, with only 3 of 8 (37.5%) categorized as negligible.
Conclusion: Because the use of the SF-36 questionnaire in HRQoL assessment between groups may not be invariant, caution should be used during comparison of HRQoL scores between heterogeneous groups.
Publisher
Milano University Press
Subject
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health,Community and Home Care,Health Policy,Epidemiology