The Croatian Health Survey - SF-36: I. General quality of life assessment

The objective of the Croatian Health Survey was the assessment of populatio n health related quality of life in the transitional enviroment of Croatia. Health status measures incorporate dimensions such as physical, psychologi cal, and social functioning, role performance and perception of well being. In order to assess health status, "The medical outcome study 36-item short -form health survey (SF-36) model" was used. A total sample of 5048 inhabit ants (1983 males and 3065 females), 18 years and over, represents approxima tely 1 parts per thousand of the general population of Croatia. Mean scores were as follows: physical functioning (PF) 69.94 role-physical (RP)63.01, bodily pain (BP) 64.51, general health (GH) 53.40, vitality (VT) 51.85 soci al functioning (SF) 72.96 role-emotional (RE) 72.42, mental health (MH) 61. 71 and hedlth transition (HT) 44.79. Results of the SF-36 health survey in Croatia are very much like the results in other European countries with in dication that general quality of life is lower in Croatia.