Abstract
The World Health Organization has developed a brief generic questionnaire to assess quality of life, the WHOQOL-BREF. It has been studied in diverse groups, but not specifically in older people. The purpose of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties of the French version of the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire in healthy older people and to compare the mean profiles of participants with the mean profile obtained in the international validation study of the WHOQOL-BREF. Of the total sample of 262 Swiss French speaking older participants, 122 completed a retest after 2 weeks. The WHOQOL-BREF items demonstrated high test–retest reliability and validity. The WHOQOL-BREF items were differentially related to physical and mental health measures (SF-12 components, morbidity, and depression), thereby demonstrating convergent and discriminant validity. Compared to the international validation sample of the WHOQOL-BREF, participants of the present study reported higher QOL on 22 of the 26 items. A comparison of item profiles between male and female participants revealed gender differences for two items only (social support and negative feelings). We conclude that the psychometric properties of the WHOQOL-BREF items in older adults are good. To consider the 24 specific facets that are assessed by the WHOQOL-BREF appropriately, we recommend using item profiles on the individual and the sample level.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
American Geriatrics Society (2002) Geriatrics review syllabus, 5th edn. Blackwell, New York
Brandt J, Spencer M, Folstein M (1988) The telephone interview for cognitive status. Neuropsy Behav Neurol 1:111–117
de Jager CA, Budge MM, Clarke R (2003) Utility of TICS-M for the assessment of cognitive function in older adults. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 18:318–324
Etat de Genève (2004) La statistique cantonale en 21 domaines [Data file]. Available from http://www.geneve.ch/statistique/statistiques/domaines/welcome.html
Fang CT, Hsiung PC, Yu CF, Chen MY, Wang JD (2002) Validation of the World Health Organization quality of life instrument in patients with HIV infection. Qual Life Res 11:753–762
Herrman H, Hawthorne G, Thomas R (2002) Quality of life assessment in people living with psychosis. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 37:510–518
Hsiung PD, Fang CT, Chang YY, Chen MY, Wang JD (2005) Comparison of WHOQOL-BREF and SF-36 in patients with HIV infection. Qual Life Res 14:141–150
Jang Y, Hsieh CL, Wang YH, Wu YH (2004) A validity study of the WHOQOL-BREF assessment in persons with traumatic spinal cord injury. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 85:1890–1895
Leplège A, Réveillère C, Ecosse E, Caria A, Rivière H (2000) Propriétés psychométriques d’un nouvel instrument d’évaluation de la qualité de vie, le WHOQOL-26, à partir d’une population de maladies neuro-musculaires. Encéphale 26:13–22
Min SK, Kim KI, Lee CI, Jung YC, Suh SY, Kim DK (2002) Development of the Korean versions of WHO quality of life scale and WHOQOL-BREF. Qual Life Res 11:593–600
Muthén LK, Muthén BO (2004) Mplus user’s guide., 3rd edn., Muthén and Muthén, Los Angeles
Noerholm V, Groenvold M, Watt T, Bjorner JB, Rasmussen NA, Bech P (2004) Quality of life in the Danish general population—normative data and validity of WHOQOL-BREF using Rasch and item response theory models. Qual Life Res 13:531–540
O’Carroll RE, Smith K, Couston M, Cossar JA, Hayes PC (2000) A comparison of the WHOQOL-100 and the WHOQOL-BREF in detecting change in quality of life following liver transplantation. Qual Life Res 9:121–124
Ohaeri JU, Olusina AK, Al-Abassi AHM (2004) Factor analytical study of the short version of the World Health Organization quality of life instrument. Psychopathology 37:242–248
Skevington SM, Lotfy M, O’Connell KA (2004) The World Health Organization’s WHOQOL-BREF quality of life assessment: psychometric properties and results of the international field trial. A report from the WHOQOL Group. Qual Life Res 13:299–310
Taylor WJ, Myers J, Simpson RT, McPherson KM, Weatherall M (2004) Quality of life of people with rheumatoid arthritis as measured by the World Health Organization quality of life instrument, short form (WHOQOL-BREF): score distributions and psychometric properties. Arthrit Care Res 51:350–357
Trompenaars FJ, Masthoff ED, Van Heck GL, Hodiamont PP, De Vries J (2005) Content validity, construct validity, and reliability of the WHOQOL-BREF in a population of Dutch adult psychiatric outpatients. Qual Life Res 14:151–160
von Steinbüchel N, Petersen C, Bullinger M, The QOLIBRI Group (2005) Assessment of health-related quality of life in persons after traumatic brain injury—development of the Qolibri, a specific measure. Acta Neurochir 93:43–49
Walker A (2005) A European perspective on quality of life in old age. Eur J Ageing 2:2–12
Ware JE, Kosinsky M, Keller SD (1996) A 12-item short form health survey. Med Care 34:220–233
WHOQOL Group (1995) The World Health Organization quality of life assessment (WHOQOL): position paper from the World Health Organization. Soc Sci Med 41:1403–1409
WHOQOL Group (1998) The World Health Organization quality of life assessment (WHOQOL): development and general psychometric properties. Soc Sci Med 46:1569–1585
Yesavage JA, Brink TL, Rose TL, Lum O, Huang V, Adey M, Von Leirer O (1983) Development and validation of a geriatric depression screening scale: a preliminary report. J Psychiatr Res 17:37–49
Acknowledgments
This study was funded by a grant from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) to the first and the fourth author, grant number 105311–101694.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
von Steinbüchel, N., Lischetzke, T., Gurny, M. et al. Assessing quality of life in older people: psychometric properties of the WHOQOL-BREF. Eur J Ageing 3, 116–122 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-006-0024-2
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-006-0024-2