Article

The World Health Organisation quality of life abbreviated scale
(WHOQOL-BREF) was developed as a measure of quality of life across 4 separate
health domains; physical health, psychological, social relationships and
environment. This study evaluated the validity of the WHOQOL-BREF in post-polio
syndrome by testing it for fit against the Rasch model. RESULTS: The scale was
posted to 319 volunteers, 271 (85%) completed the scale with a mean age of 66.7
years (standard deviation 8.15); 64% were female. The social relationships domain
fitted the Rasch model (chi2 p = 0.19) but reliability was low (alpha = 0.69) and
there were insufficient items to test the assumption of unidimensionality.
Solutions were derived for physical health (p = 0.45, t-test = 1.5%, alpha =
0.67), psychological (p = 0.19, t-test = 4.9%, alpha = 0.78) and environment
domains (p = 0.48, t-test = 6.0% - lower confidence interval 3.4%, alpha = 0.80)
by accounting for local dependence and to cancel out differential item
functioning. An overall measure of quality of life, which combined all 4 domains
was validated (p = 0.80, t-test = 4.6%, alpha = 0.81). A transformation table for
this total score is provided. CONCLUSION: The 4 domains of the WHOQOL-BREF
provide valid measures of quality of life in post-polio syndrome. The summed
score was more reliable and better targeted and can be used as an ordinal
estimate of quality of life.

Langue : ANGLAIS