QuWorld Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire [WHOQOL-BREF]

Description

The WHOQOL-BREF (World Health Organization Quality of Life – BREF) is the abbreviated version of the WHOQOL instrument developed by the World Health Organization for the multidimensional assessment of perceived quality of life. It consists of 26 items and examines how individuals perceive their position in life in relation to their health, needs, goals, expectations, and social environment.

Dimensions

The WHOQOL-BREF assesses four main domains:

Physical Health, including functioning, energy, pain, sleep, mobility, and everyday activities.

Psychological Health, including emotional well-being, self-esteem, thinking, concentration, and psychological functioning.

Social Relationships, including personal relationships, social support, and related aspects of social life.

Environment, including safety, financial resources, access to healthcare, living conditions, and opportunities for participation in activities.

Scoring

Items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Separate scores are calculated for each domain, with higher scores generally indicating better perceived quality of life. Some items require reverse scoring before domain scores are calculated.

Applications

The WHOQOL-BREF is widely used in clinical, epidemiological, and social research, as well as in studies involving the general population, individuals with chronic conditions, caregivers, and diverse cultural or social groups.

References

The WHOQOL Group. (1998). Development of the World Health Organization WHOQOL-BREF quality of life assessment. Psychological Medicine, 28(3), 551–558.

Skevington, S. M., Lotfy, M., & O’Connell, K. A. (2004). The World Health Organization’s WHOQOL-BREF quality of life assessment: Psychometric properties and results of the international field trial. Quality of Life Research, 13, 299–310.