RT Journal
A1 Huffman, G. Russell
A1 Park, Jung
A1 Roser-Jones, Chris
A1 Sennett, Brian J.
A1 Yagnik, Gautum
A1 Webner, David
T1 Normative SF-36 Values in Competing NCAA Intercollegiate Athletes Differ from Values in the General Population
JF The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery
JO The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery
YR 2008
FD March 1
VO 90
IS 3
SP 471
OP 476
DO 10.2106/JBJS.G.00325
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.2106/JBJS.G.00325
AB Background: The Short Form-36 (SF-36) is a valid and reliable generic indicator of health status. The scoring distributions for the general and specific populations have been extensively reported in the literature and vary according to age, gender, the type and severity of a medical condition, and socioeconomic status. However, normative data pertaining specifically to athletic populations are limited. The purpose of the present study was to establish SF-36 reference norms for athletes cleared for participation in intercollegiate sports.Methods: Six hundred and ninety-six United States National Collegiate Athletic Association Division-I and II student athletes who had been cleared for participation in intercollegiate sports completed the self-administered form of the SF-36 at the time of pre-participation evaluations. Demographic information and history of injuries were also recorded.Results: Compared with the general population and an age-matched sample of the general population, the athletes scored significantly higher in all health domains (p < 0.01) except for bodily pain (p = 0.05). Among the athletes, men scored significantly higher than women in the general health domain only (p = 0.0006). Athletes with no reported history of injury scored significantly higher than those with previous injuries in all health domains, except in role limitations due to emotional problems.Conclusions: Intercollegiate athletes cleared for participation reported significantly higher SF-36 scores in comparison with a similarly aged sample of the general population. These normative values are important in the evaluation of health status of intercollegiate athletes before and after intervention.