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Choosing measures of health status for individuals in general populations

Author

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  • Ware Jr., J.E.
  • Brook, R.H.
  • Davies, A.R.
  • Lohr, K.N.

Abstract

This paper offers suggestions to aid the selection of appropriate instruments and data gathering methods for studies that require measures of personal health status applicable in general populations. Before selecting measures, the reason for studying health status must be identified. Next, definitional issues arise when attempting to specify the components of health that are to be studied. Evidence supports restriction of the definition of personal health status to its physical and mental components, rather than including social circumstances as well. In evaluating the suitability of available measures, three features must be considered: 1) practicality in terms of administration, respondent burden, and analysis; 2) reliability in terms of the study design and group or individual comparisons; 3) validity, in terms of providing information about the particular health components of interest to the study. Evaluating validity will be difficult for most available measures; careful attention to item content will be helpful in choosing appropriate measures. Despite problems in development and interpretation, overall health status indicators will prove useful to many studies and should be considered, as should both subjective and objective measures of health status. Given that the reasons to measure health have been identified, the aspects of health to be measured specified, and attention paid to their suitability, appropriate measures may often be found among those now available.

Suggested Citation

  • Ware Jr., J.E. & Brook, R.H. & Davies, A.R. & Lohr, K.N., 1981. "Choosing measures of health status for individuals in general populations," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 71(6), pages 620-625.
    • Handle: RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.71.6.620_4
    DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.71.6.620
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    Cited by:

    1. R. Roberge & J-M. Berthelot & K. Cranswick, 1999. "Adjusting Life Expectancy to Account for Disability in a Population: A Comparison of Three Techniques," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 48(2), pages 219-245, October.
    2. Isabella Hatak & Haibo Zhou, 2021. "Health as Human Capital in Entrepreneurship: Individual, Extension, and Substitution Effects on Entrepreneurial Success," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 45(1), pages 18-42, January.
    3. Christine McDonough & Anna Tosteson, 2007. "Measuring Preferences for Cost-Utility Analysis," PharmacoEconomics, Springer, vol. 25(2), pages 93-106, February.
    4. Mark S. Thompson, 1983. "Health Versus Money," Medical Decision Making, , vol. 3(3), pages 285-297, August.
    5. Elizabeth Hahn & David Cella & Rita Bode & Rachel Hanrahan, 2010. "Measuring Social Well-Being in People with Chronic Illness," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 96(3), pages 381-401, May.
    6. Chris Richardson & Bruno Zumbo, 2000. "A Statistical Examination of the Health Utility Index-Mark III as a Summary Measure of Health Status for a General Population Health Survey," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 51(2), pages 171-191, August.
    7. Shepherd, Dean A. & Patzelt, Holger, 2015. "The “heart” of entrepreneurship: The impact of entrepreneurial action on health and health on entrepreneurial action," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 4(C), pages 22-29.

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