Assessment of the Chinese-version SF-36 in the Chinese opiate addicts

This study was designed to assess the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 (SF-36) assessed with opiate addicts in China. The sample was composed of 442 questionnaires from three regions in China, in 2004. The reliability of Chinese-version SF-36 was obtained using Cronbach's α and split-half coefficients and the validity was calculated using correlation analysis and confirmatory factor analysis method. The results of reliability and validity provide the first evidence that Chinese-version SF-36 is validated for Chinese addicts. The study's limitations are noted.