Table 1

Item percent missing, item means and standard deviations (SD)a

Scale
SF-36 Item

% Missing
Mean
SD

Physical Functioning (PF)






Vigorous activities
PF1
1.1
1.99
0.64

Walking more than a kilometer
PF7
1.0
2.22
0.73

Climbing several flights of stairs
PF4
1.0
2.51
0.63

Bending, kneeling, stooping
PF6
1.0
2.56
0.59

Lifting or carrying groceries
PF3
1.2
2.56
0.61

Moderate activities
PF2
0.5
2.58
0.57

Walking more than 100 m
PF8
0.7
2.65
0.58

Climbing one flight of stairs
PF5
1.3
2.74
0.50

Walking 100 m
PF9
1.3
2.76
0.50

Bathing or dressing
PF10
0.5
2.90
0.33
Role-Physical (RP)






Accomplished less than would like
RP2
0.1
1.82
0.38

Difficulty performing work/activities
RP4
0.2
1.76
0.43

Cut down time spent on work
RP1
0.2
1.83
0.38

Limited in kind of work/activities
RP3
0.2
1.88
0.33
Bodily Pain (BP)






Intensity of bodily pain
BP1
0.3
4.51
1.11

Extent pain interfered with work
BP2
0.7
4.24
0.76
General Health (GH)






Rating of general health
GH1
0.0
3.07
0.78

My health is excellent
GH5
0.7
3.58
1.09

I seem as healthy as anyone I know
GH3
0.3
3.96
0.98

I seem to get sick easier than others
GH2
0.7
3.76
1.12

I expect my health to get worse
GH4
0.7
3.80
1.12
Vitality (VT)






Have a lot of energy
VT2
0.5
3.62
0.98

Full of life
VT1
0.5
3.75
0.93

Feel worn out
VT3
0.6
4.52
0.88

Feel tired
VT4
0.2
4.55
0.91
Social Functioning (SF)






Extent health problems interfered
SF1
0.5
4.31
0.75

Frequency health problems interfered
SF2
0.7
3.94
0.98
Role-Emotional (RE)






Accomplished less than would like
RE2
0.5
1.77
0.42

Cut down time spent on work
RE1
0.4
1.78
0.42

Work not done as carefully as usual
RE3
0.5
1.87
0.34
Mental Health (MH)






Felt calm and peaceful
MH3
0.5
3.30
0.93

Been a happy person
MH5
0.6
4.11
0.98

Been a very nervous person
MH1
0.2
4.35
0.85

Felt down hearted and blue
MH4
0.5
4.85
0.92

Felt down in the dumps
MH2
0.5
4.92
0.92
Health Transition (HT)






Change in health from one year ago
HT
0.2
2.88
0.84

aItems within a scale are ordered according to their relative expected means[20], with items having the highest expected mean at the top.

Lim et al. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes 2008 6:52   doi:10.1186/1477-7525-6-52