Abstract
In this study we compared the feasibility, internal structure and psychometric characteristics (internal consistency, test-retest reliability, construct validity) of two widely used generic health status measures, i.e. the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) and the Sickness Impact Profile (SIP) when employed among a sample of patients on renal dialysis (n=63). The NHP was found to be more feasible, i.e. shorter and less difficult, than the SIP. The NHP scales showed somewhat higher levels of internal consistency (mean α=0.67, range=0.39–0.80) than the SIP scales (mean α=0.65, range=0.14–0.82). Test-retest reliability with a 24-hour interval was acceptable for most NHP scales (not available for the SIP in this study). Intercorrelations between the NHP scales were somewhat weaker than those for the SIP, and the expected patterns of scale intercorrelations were largely confirmed. The overall pattern of correlations between NHP scales and SIP scales was consistent with expectations, although the correlations were generally rather weak. Correlations between NHP scales and SIP scales and instruments measuring mainly physical functioning (ADL, Karnofsky) were largely as expected. Similarly, correlations between NHP scales and SIP scales and instruments measuring mainly psychological functioning [STAI (anxiety), SDS-Zung (depression)] were also as expected, although here the correlations were weaker for the SIP when compared with the NHP. The Index of Well-being exhibited intra-class correlations >0.3 with one SIP scale and with five out of six NHP scales. Common factor analysis, yielding a two-factor solution with a physical and a mental factor of equal importance, showed the SIP scales to load more on the physical factor, while the NHP scales loaded more on the mental factor. The NHP generally performed better than the SIP in terms of feasibility and internal consistency. Physical functioning is emphasized in the SIP, whereas the emphasis of the NHP lies on mental functioning. The analysis confirmed to some extent the intentions of the constructors of NHP and SIP respectively, i.e. the NHP to be a measure of perceived health and the SIP to be a more functional measure.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Hunt SM, McEwen J, McKenna SP. Measuring health status: A new tool for clinicians and epidemiologists. J R Coll Gen Pract 1985; 35: 185–188.
Luttik A, Jacobs HM, De Witte LP. De Sickness Impact Profile. Vakgroep Huisartsgeneeskunde Rijksuniversiteit Utrecht/Instituut voor Revalidatievraagstukken Rijksuniversiteit Limburg, 1987.
Melker RA de, Touw-Otten F, Jacobs HM, Luttik A. De waarde van de ‘sickness impact profile’ als uitkomstmeting. Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd 1990; 134: 946–948.
Ploeg HM van der, Defares PB, Spielberger CD, eds. Manual of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Handleiding bij de zelf-beoordelingsvragenlijst). Leiden: Swets and Zeitlinger, 1980.
Ploeg HM van der. Validation of de State-trait Anxiety Inventory (Validatie van de zelfbeoordelingsvragenlijst). Ned T Psychol 1980; 35: 243–249.
Spielberger CD, Gorschuch RL, Lushene RE, eds. STAI manual for the state-trait anxiety inventory. Consulting Psychologists Press, Palo Alto, California 1970.
Zung WWK. A self-rating depression scale. Arch Gen Psych 1965; 13: 63–70.
Zitman FG, Griez EJL, Hooijer Chr. Standardisation of depression assessment questionnaires (Standaardisaering depressievragenlijsten; in Dutch). T Psychiatr 1989; 31: 114–135.
Dijkstra P. The Zung self-rating depression scale (De zelf-beoordelingsschaal voor depressie van Zung). In: van Praag HM, Rooymans HGM, Stemming en ontstemming. Amsterdam: de Erven Boon, 1974: 98–120.
Karnofsky, DA, Abelman, WH, Craver, LF, Burchenal, JH. The use of nitrogen mustards in the palliative treatment of carcinoma. Cancer 1948; 643–654.
Bonsel GJ, Bot ML, Boterblom A, Veer F van't. Costs and effects of heart transpalntation (De kosten en effecten van harttransplantatie), part 2A, 2B, 2C: Quality of life—documentation, interview, results (Kwaliteit van leven voor en na harttransplantatie—documentatie, interview, resultaten). Rotterdam: Department of Public Health, Erasmus University, 1988.
Campbell A, Converse PE, Rodgers WL. The quality of American life: perceptions, evaluations and satisfactions. New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 1976.
Nunnally JC. Psychometric theory. New York: McGraw Hill, 1978.
Dunn G. Design and analysis of reliability studies. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989.
Deyo RA, Diehr P, Patrick DL. Reproducibility and responsiveness of health status measures. Controlled Clinical Trials 1991; 12: 142S.
Streiner DL, Norman GR. Health measurement scales. Oxford: Oxford Medical Publications. 1989.
Erdman RAM, Passchier J, Kooijman M, Stronks DL. The Dutch version of the Nottingham Health Profile: investigations of psychometric aspects. Psych Reports 1993; 72: 1027–1035.
Rothman ML, Hedrick S, Inui T. The Sickness Impact Profile as a measure of the health status of noncognitively impaired nursing home residents. Med Care 1989; 27 (Suppl 3), S157–167.
de Bruin AF, Witte LP, Stevens FCJ, Diederiks JPM. The usefullness of the sickness Impact Profile as a generic fuctional status measure (in Dutch; English abstract). T Soc Gezondheidsz 1992; 70: 160–170.
Hunt SM, McKenna SP, Williams J. Reliability of a population survey tool for measuring perceived health problems: a study of patients with osteoarthrosis. J Epidemiol Comm Health 1981; 35: 297–303.
Hunt SM, McEwen J, McKenna SP. Measuring health status. London: Croom Helm. 1986: 116.
Bergner M, Bobbitt RA, Carter WB, Gilson BS. The sickness impact profile: Development and final revision of a health status measure. Med Care 1981; 19: 787–805.
de Bruin AF, Diederiks JPM, de Witte LP, Stevens FCJ, Philipsen H. The development of a short generic version of the Sickness Impact Profile. J Clin Epidemiol 1994; 47: 407–418.
Jacobs HM, Luttik A, Touw-Otten FWMM, de Melker RA. De ‘sickness impact profile’: resultaten van een valideringsonderzoek van de Nederlandse versie. Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd 1990; 134: 1950–1954.
Bucquet D, Condon S, Ritchie K. The French version of the Nottingham health profile. A comparison of items weights with those of the source version. Soc Sci Med 1990; 30: 829–835.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Essink-Bot, M.L., Krabbe, P.F.M., van Agt, H.M.E. et al. NHP or SIP—A comparative study in renal insufficiency associated anemia. Qual Life Res 5, 91–100 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00435973
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00435973