Table of Contents
| Category | Details |
| Background | The SMU Health Questionnaire (SMU-HQ) was developed to assess a wide range of health issues, going beyond what was covered in the PILL. It includes 63 items, encompassing symptoms and complaints (e.g., abdominal pain, sore throat), minor illnesses (e.g., cold or flu, appendicitis), and more serious or chronic health problems (e.g., diabetes, hypertension, cancer). Participants are asked to indicate any problem they have experienced within the past year. To distinguish between symptom items and major health items, the SMU-HQ items were analyzed using a principal factor analysis with a sample of 437 undergraduate students. The analysis yielded a broad first factor accounting for 23.2% of the common variance. From this, a Symptom scale was constructed using the 13 of 14 items with the strongest loadings on the factor. The item “depression” was excluded due to its conceptual overlap with Negative and Positive Affect. The final Symptom scale comprises various symptoms and complaints and the score represents the number of items checked. |
| Primary use / Purpose | The primary purpose of the SMU Health Questionnaire is to measure a broad range of health problems. |
| Psychometrics | Detailed psychometric information for the SMU-HQ can be found in the following publication: Watson, D., & Pennebaker, J.W. (1989). Health complaints, stress, and distress: Exploring the central role of Negative Affectivity. Psychological Review, 96, 234-254. |
| Author of Tool | Watson, D and Pennebaker, J. W. |
| Web link to tool | |
| Files | Scale |
| Key references | Watson, D. (1988). Intraindividual and interindividual analyses of Positive and Negative Affect: Their relation to health complaints, perceived stress, and daily activities. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54, 1020-1030. <br> Watson, D., & Pennebaker, J.W. (1989). Health complaints, stress, and distress: Exploring the central role of Negative Affectivity. Psychological Review, 96, 234-254. |
| Keywords | Health |
The SMU Health Questionnaire (SMUHQ)
Age_____ Sex_____ Marital Status_____
Religious Upbringing: Catholic_____ Protestant_____ Jewish_____ Islam_____ Other_____
Highest level of education that you have completed__________
Place a check in front of every health problem you have had during the last year. Be sure to check every health problem you used to have but now control with medication or treatment:
_____cold or flu _____significant weight gain
_____diabetes _____significant weight loss
_____anemia _____headache (not migraine)
_____fainting _____low blood pressure
_____hernia _____high blood pressure (hypertension)
_____diarrhea _____arthritis or rheumatism
_____hemorrhoids _____abdominal or stomach pain
_____rash _____gall bladder problems
_____appendicitis _____lung or respiratory problems
_____paralysis _____heartbeat irregularity
_____ulcer _____high cholesterol
_____skin cancer _____chronic back problem
_____sore throat _____kidney or urinary tract problems
_____constipation _____eye problem (sty, cataract)
_____ear ache _____thrombosis (blood clots)
_____vomiting _____water retention (bloating)
_____asthma _____serious dental problems (incl. gums)
_____emphysema _____angina or chest pain
_____colitis _____migraine headache
_____seizures _____thyroid problem
_____bulimia _____anorexia nervosa
_____allergies _____grinding of teeth or TMJ
_____blackouts _____multiple sclerosis
_____depression _____breast cancer
_____indigestion _____other cancer
_____severe acne _____benign tumor
_____mononucleosis _____liver problem
_____broken bones _____sexual problems(impotency, frigidity)
_____pregnancy _____venereal disease (incl. herpes)
_____endometriosis(cramps) _____pre‐menstrual syndrome
_____obesity _____other reproductive (cysts, prostate)
_____other health problems; Specify:
How many days during the last year were you hospitalized for each of the following:
surgery_____ childbirth_____ psychological problems_____
injury_____ illness_____ drug/alcohol problems______
Cite this article
mohammad looti (2026). The SMU Health Questionnaire (SMUHQ). PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Retrieved from https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/the-smu-health-questionnaire-smuhq/
mohammad looti. "The SMU Health Questionnaire (SMUHQ)." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 31 Mar. 2026, https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/the-smu-health-questionnaire-smuhq/.
mohammad looti. "The SMU Health Questionnaire (SMUHQ)." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 2026. https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/the-smu-health-questionnaire-smuhq/.
mohammad looti (2026) 'The SMU Health Questionnaire (SMUHQ)', PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Available at: https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/the-smu-health-questionnaire-smuhq/.
[1] mohammad looti, "The SMU Health Questionnaire (SMUHQ)," PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, vol. X, no. Y, ص Z-Z, March, 2026.
mohammad looti. The SMU Health Questionnaire (SMUHQ). PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. 2026;vol(issue):pages.