OBJECTIVE

Questionnaires on perceived health provide information on health results. Reference values are needed to assess these results. Previous studies have provided Spanish population-based norms for the SF-12v1. The aim of this study was to obtain the population-based norms for the Spanish version of the SF-12v2 for Murcia.

METHODS

A cross-sectional telephone survey was carried out in 3,486 community-dwelling persons aged over 18 years old in the region of Murcia. The central tendency, dispersion and percentiles were calculated for each of the eight scales and the physical and mental summary components (PCS and MCS) of the SF-12v2. Known groups were compared to evaluate construct validity (Student's t-test and ANOVA).

RESULTS

A total of 3, 381 persons took part in the study (50.5% men). The mean age was 43.6 years in men and 46.0 in women. The mean PSC was 48.6 (± 10.6) and the mean MCS was 53.6 (± 10.7). These scores were higher (more favorable) in men, the youngest age groups, in persons with higher education and in those no chronic illnesses (p=0.000). In all the dimensions and summary components, men had better scores than women. The dimension with the worst score in both men and women was general health and the PCS.

CONCLUSIONS

These results should be considered as the population-based norms for the Spanish version of the SF-12v2 for Murcia but may also be useful to establish health aims in similar populations.