SMU Health Questionnaire – SMUHQ
Measures a broad range of self-reported health problems, symptoms, and illnesses experienced over the past year.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The SMU Health Questionnaire – SMUHQ was developed by David Watson & James W. Pennebaker (1989). It is designed to measure Self-reported physical symptoms and health problems. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 63 items.
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = Not experienced, 1 = Experienced.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 0 to 63. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low number of health complaints: 0 – 10
- Moderate number of health complaints: 11 – 25
- High number of health complaints: 26 – 63
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of N/A.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.