Crack-cocaine use and health status as defined by the SF-36

The Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 (SF-36) was administered to 343 no t-in-treatment. crack-cocaine smokers to explore the relationship between f requency of crack, alcohol, and tobacco use, addiction to these drugs, and health status. The reliability of the SF-36 with crack smokers was also ass essed. Statistically significant, negative associations emerged between fre quency of crack use and all SF-36 subscales except physical functioning. Th ere were not significant associations between frequency of alcohol or tobac co use and any SF-36 subscale. Self-assessed addiction to crack was strongl y and negatively associated with all SF-36 subscales: alcohol and tobacco a ddiction were also negatively associated with health status, but not to the degree of crack. The SF-36 produces reliable data on the health status of crack users and, as such, may have a useful role in assessments involving c rack-using populations. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd.