Description

The WHO Quality of Life Scale (WHOQOL) is a tool developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to assess individuals’ quality of life. This scale is based on a multidimensional approach, examining physical, psychological, social, and environmental dimensions of quality of life. It is designed to be applicable across different cultural and social settings, making it suitable for use with diverse populations worldwide.

Analysis and Use of Data

The WHOQOL includes questions that examine individuals’ perceptions of their physical health, psychological well-being, social relationships, and living conditions. The data collected can be used to determine a person’s overall quality of life and identify specific areas that may need improvement. Additionally, the scale can be used to monitor the effectiveness of various interventions or treatments.

Purpose

The main purpose of the WHOQOL is to evaluate an individual’s perception of their quality of life in relation to their social, cultural, and environmental context. This tool aims to gather data that can help healthcare professionals and researchers understand the impact of health and therapeutic interventions on quality of life.

Scoring

The WHOQOL uses a Likert scale to assess quality of life across different domains. Participants are asked to respond to each question using scores ranging from 1 (very poor quality of life) to 5 (very good quality of life). The responses are analyzed to provide both overall and subscale scores that reflect general and specific aspects of quality of life.

Bibliography

World Health Organization. (1996). WHOQOL-BREF: Introduction, administration, scoring and generic version of the assessment. Geneva: World Health Organization.
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. A report from the WHOQOL group. Quality of Life Research, 13(2), 299-310.
WHOQOL Group. (1998). Development of the World Health Organization WHOQOL-BREF quality of life assessment. Psychological Medicine, 28(3), 551-558.