Study-Description

The MOS-20 is a short version of the original MOS questionnaire, designed to evaluate health and quality of life. It consists of 20 questions covering key areas of physical, social, and emotional health, such as:

Physical functioning: The individual’s ability to perform daily activities.

Social functioning: The impact of health on social activities and relationships.

Emotional well-being: The extent to which emotional problems, such as anxiety or depression, affect quality of life.

Pain: The intensity of pain and its impact on daily activities.

General health perception: The personal assessment of overall health.

The questionnaire is scored using a Likert scale, where participants rate their status in various aspects of health.

Data Analysis and Usage

The data collected from the MOS-20 are analyzed to determine different aspects of an individual’s health and quality of life. The responses help measure physical and psychosocial functioning and provide an overall picture of the patient’s health status.

Common analyses include:

Reliability analysis to calculate the internal consistency of the subscales, such as Cronbach’s alpha.

Comparative analysis between different patient groups, e.g., before and after a therapeutic intervention.

Factor analysis to identify and confirm the different dimensions included in the scale.

The data collected through the MOS-20 are often used in clinical studies to assess therapeutic outcomes and monitor changes in patients’ quality of life over time.

Purpose

The primary goal of the MOS-20 is to provide a reliable and concise tool for assessing the general health status and quality of life of individuals. Specifically, the questionnaire aims to:

Measure the impact of illness and treatment on various aspects of patients’ lives.

Evaluate the physical, psychosocial, and emotional factors that affect well-being.

Monitor changes in health over time and measure the outcomes of interventions.

Calibration

The calibration of the MOS-20 is based on psychometric methods:

Reliability analysis to calculate the internal consistency of the subscales and ensure that the scale’s items consistently measure various health issues.

Confirmatory factor analysis to validate the structure of the dimensions assessed by the scale.

Cross-validation in different populations to determine the generalizability and validity of the tool across various settings and cultures.

Bibliography

Sherbourne, C. D., & Stewart, A. L. (1991). The MOS social support survey. Social Science & Medicine, 32(6), 705-714.

Hays, R. D., Sherbourne, C. D., & Mazel, R. M. (1993). The RAND 36-Item Health Survey 1.0. Health Economics, 2(3), 217-227.

Stewart, A. L., & Ware, J. E. (Eds.). (1992). Measuring functioning and well-being: The Medical Outcomes Study approach. Duke University Press.