The relationship between the visual analog scale and the SF-36 scales in the general population: an update

To update the 1993 relationship between the visual analog scale (VAS) and the 8 SF-36 scales found in the Israeli Jewish urban population aged 45 to 75 years and reported in Medical Decision Making.

Interviews with a sample of 2505 persons representing the same population in 2000 were used to estimate the above relationship.

The distributions of the VAS and the SF-36 8 scales were similar in 1993 and in 2000. In 2000, the Role-Emotional scale was not associated with the VAS, while the General Health scale proved to be its major determinant. Generally, the effects of the SF-36 scales on the VAS did not change between 1993 and 2000.

The relationship between the VAS and the SF-36 scales was found generally stable in the general population between 1993 and 2000, controlling for sociodemographic changes. The estimated relationship might be useful in predicting VAS scores from SF-36 scales in the general population.