engleski

Psychometric properties of the World health organisation quality of life questionnaire in diabetic patients

The aim of the study was to analyse psychometric properties of the WHOQOL –100, a multidimensionally conceptualised, generic, 100-item quality of life instrument in a pilot sample of 63 NIDDM patients (mean age 60.4 yrs (10.1); 55% women; mean disease duration 10.2 yrs (6.2); mean education 10 yrs (5.2); 78% married. While covering the subjective perception and evaluation of overall QOL and general health, as well as 4 broad domains (physical health, psychological state, social relationships, environment), the instrument may be useful in integrating the individual QOL perception. The properties tested referred to reliability, validity in discriminating patients with different disease characteristics, and responsiveness to change. Methods: Reliability was determined by Chronbach’s alpha coefficients of internal consistency. Discriminant validity was determined by comparing the groups of patients with poor and satisfactory glycemic control, the first of them being switched to insulin therapy (intervention group – I vs. comparison group –C, consisting of 35 and 28 patients respectively). Responsiveness to change was determined by comparing the two groups after a two-month follow-up period. Results: The obtained alpha coefficients were 0.95 for the Physical domain, 0.89 for the Psychological domain, 0.76 for the Social relationships domain, and 0.92 for the domain referring to Environment. The groups characterized by different disease characteristics (I test vs. C test) rated their QOL differently, primarily in the physical and psychological domain (p<0.01; p<0.05). After a two-month follow-up period the intervention group improved some quality of life determinants (Psychological domain), while no differences were found in the group which had not changed diabetes therapy. Conclusion: Relying on the data obtained from the groups of diabetic patients in Croatia, the WHOQOL-100 can be considered as acceptably reliable and valid instrument for the QOL assessment in this particular population of heatlh care users.

Quality of life assessment; psychometric properties; diabetic patients

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