Normative data and psychometric properties of short form 36 health survey (SF-36, version 1.0) in the population of north Jordan

This study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the short form 36 health survey (SF-36, version 1.0) and to establish SF-36 population norms among the general population of north Jordan. A systematic sample of 157 households was selected from 6 districts in Irbid governorate in north Jordan. A total of 511 people aged 18 years or more agreed to participate. The reliability of the instrument using the Arabic version of SF-36 was satisfactory: Cronbach alphas for all 8 SF-36 scales exceeded 0.70. All items passed the tests for item internal consistency and item discriminant validity. SF-36 population norms among the general population of north Jordan were established. The highest mean was for social functioning (66.8) among men and for physical functioning (69.8) among women. The lowest mean was for vitality (55.8) among men and bodily pain (54.6) among women. The SF-36 is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring quality of life among Jordanians.