Practice Consideration
Measuring and Reporting Quality of Life Using SF 36
The SF-36 has 36 questions that are scored using a scoring guide to provide “domain” scores for Physical functioning, Role limitations due to physical health, Role limitations due to emotional problems, Energy/fatigue, Emotional well-being, Social functioning, Pain, and General health.(1,2)
The following is the scoring guide for integrating the individual item responses from the SF 36 questionnaire into a single report.
Step 2: Averaging Items to Form Scales(2)
The following is the scoring guide for integrating the individual item responses from the SF 36 questionnaire into a single report.
Step 2: Averaging Items to Form Scales(2)
| Scale | Number of items | After recoding per Table 1, average the following items |
| Physical functioning | 10 | 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 |
| Role limitations due to physical health | 4 | 13 14 15 16 |
| Role limitations due to emotional problems | 3 | 17 18 19 |
| Energy/fatigue | 4 | 23 27 29 31 |
| Emotional well-being | 5 | 24 25 26 28 30 |
| Social functioning | 2 | 20 32 |
| Pain | 2 | 21 22 |
| General health | 5 | 1 33 34 35 36 |
Updated January 27, 2018
REERENCES
1. 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36). Surveys https://www.rand.org/health/surveys_tools/mos/36-item-short-form.html. Accessed Jan 2, 2018.
2. 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36) Scoring Instructions. Surveys https://www.rand.org/health/surveys_tools/mos/36-item-short-form/scoring.html. Accessed Jan 2, 2018.
2. 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36) Scoring Instructions. Surveys https://www.rand.org/health/surveys_tools/mos/36-item-short-form/scoring.html. Accessed Jan 2, 2018.