Confirmatory factor analysis and measurement invariance of the English, Mandarin, and Malay versions of the SF-12v2 within a representative sample of the multi-ethnic Singapore population.

The present study identified a two-factor (physical and mental health) structure within the general population and amongst the three different languages and demonstrated the measurement invariance of SF-12v2 across different subgroups. Findings indicate that algorithm-derived PCS and MCS should be interpreted with caution as they may result in inaccurate conclusions regarding the relationships between HRQoL and its correlates. Future studies using the SF-12v2 within the general population of Singapore should consider utilizing the factor structure put forth in the present study to obtain more appropriate estimates of HRQoL.