Validity of a Revised Short Form-12 Health Survey Version 2 in Different Ethnic Populations

<p><b>INTRODUCTION</b>The Short Form-12 version 2 (SF-12v2) is a shorter version of the Short Form-36 version 2 (SF-36v2) for assessing health-related quality of life. As the SF-12v2 could not be resolved into the physical- and mental-component summary score (PCS and MCS, respectively) in the general population of Singapore, this study aims to determine and validate the Singapore SF-12 version 2 (SG-12v2).</p><p><b>MATERIALS AND METHODS</b>The SG- 12v2 was generated using the same methodology as the SF-12v2. Bootstrap analysis was used to determine if the SG-12v2 were significantly different from the SF-12v2. Content validity was assessed using percentage of variance (R²) of the Singapore version of SF-36v2 PCS and MCS explained by the SG-12v2 items. Agreement between the SF-36v2 and the SG-12v2 was assessed using Bland-Altman diagrams. Criterion validity was demonstrated if effect size differences between SF-36v2 and SG-12v2 were small (Cohen's criteria). Known-group validity of SG-12v2 was reported for participants with and without chronic diseases.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Five items differed between the SG-12v2 and SF-12v2. Bootstrap analysis confirmed that SG-12v2 and SF-12v2 were significantly different. The SG12v2 explained 94% and 79% of the R² of the SF-36v2 PCS and MCS, respectively. Agreement was good and effect size differences were small (<0.3). Participants with chronic diseases reported lower SG-12v2 scores compared to participants without chronic diseases.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The SG-12v2 offers advantage over the SF-12v2 for use in the general population of Singapore. The SG-12v2 is a valid measure and will be particularly useful for large population health surveys in Singapore.</p>

Prevalence of metabolic syndrome among patients with schizophrenia in Singapore

<p><b>INTRODUCTION</b>Schizophrenia has been associated with an increased risk of cardiometabolic morbidity and mortality. Metabolic syndrome (MetS), a reliable predictor of cardiovascular-related morbidity and mortality, has also been shown to be more prevalent in patients with schizophrenia. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of MetS in a sample of patients with schizophrenia in Singapore, and the potential risk factors associated with it.</p><p><b>MATERIALS & METHODS</b>One hundred patients with schizophrenia and 300 community controls were recruited. All subjects provided a fasted sample of venous blood to measure high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides and glucose levels. Weight, height and waist circumference were measured. Presence of MetS was assessed according to the American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (AHA/NHLBI) guidelines.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The prevalence of MetS in patients with schizophrenia was 46.0%. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for MetS among patients was 2.79 (CI, 1.50 to 5.20, P = 0.001) when compared with controls. Increasing body mass index (BMI) was identifi ed to be signifi cantly associated with the prevalence of MetS.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>This study found a high prevalence of MetS in Singapore patients with schizophrenia, and that BMI might be a risk factor in the development of MetS. This information is clinically relevant as BMI is routinely measured in psychiatric practice today, and could be used to monitor for development of MetS in schizophrenia.</p>