Health-related quality of life of HIV-infected women: Evidence for the reliability, validity and responsiveness of the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form 20

M. Y. Smith, J. Feldman, P. Kelly, J. A. DeHovitz, K. Chirgwin, H. Minkoff

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

55 Scopus citations

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the reliability, validity and responsiveness of a health-related quality of life (HRQOL) instrument, the Medical Outcomes Short-Form 20-item General Health Survey (MOS SF-20), in a sample of women with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Longitudinal data were collected on 202 HIV-infected women without AIDS who were receiving care at Kings County Hospital or SUNY Health Sciences Center, Brooklyn, New York, Internal consistency results showed acceptable reliability for the four multi-item MOS scales (role function, physical function, general health perceptions and mental health). Symptomatic patients and patients with lower Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) ratings reported lower HRQOL than those who were asymptomatic or who had higher KPS scores. Patients who were older, unemployed or who had a history of injection drug use (IDU) also reported lower HRQOL than those who were younger, employed or who had no drug use history. Adjusted mean scores on the MOS role and physical functioning scales proved sensitive to differences in clinical status over time. The MOS SF-20 is a reliable and valid instrument of HRQOL for women with HIV infection. Its sensitivity to differences in clinical status over time suggest that it may be useful as an HRQOL indicator for HIV/AIDS clinical trials.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)47-55
Number of pages9
JournalQuality of Life Research
Volume5
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 1996
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • HIV-infected women
  • Health-related quality of life
  • MOS SF-20

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