Description

The World Health Organization Quality of Life – BREF (WHOQOL-26) is a shortened version of the original WHOQOL-100 tool, developed by the World Health Organization to assess individuals’ quality of life. The WHOQOL-26 consists of 26 questions covering four key domains: physical health, psychological state, social relationships, and environment. It is designed for use in both clinical and research settings, with the aim of evaluating individuals’ overall well-being and quality of life.

Analysis and Use of Data

Purpose:The WHOQOL-26 is used to assess quality of life, taking into account physical, psychological, social, and environmental aspects of individuals’ lives. It is particularly useful in studies related to chronic illness, health management, mental health issues, as well as in population-based research.

Use of Data:Data from the WHOQOL-26 is used to identify areas of individuals’ lives where intervention is needed, such as improving physical or mental health. Additionally, the tool can help monitor changes in quality of life following therapeutic interventions or other life changes.

Goal

The primary goal of the WHOQOL-26 is to provide a reliable and valid assessment of quality of life in four key domains: physical health, psychological state, social relationships, and environment. The scale allows for the assessment of how individuals perceive their health and overall well-being, with an emphasis on their subjective experience.

Scoring

The WHOQOL-26 uses a five-point Likert scale to assess each question, where 1 means “never” or “not at all” and 5 means “always” or “very much.” Results are categorized into four domains:

Physical Health

Psychological State

Social Relationships

Environment

Higher scores indicate a better quality of life. Data can be analyzed either overall or by domain, depending on the focus of the study or clinical use.

Bibliography

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(2), 299-310.

Berlim, M. T., Pavanello, D. P., Caldieraro, M. A., & Fleck, M. P. A. (2005). Reliability and validity of the WHOQOL-BREF in a sample of Brazilian outpatients with major depression. Quality of Life Research, 14(2), 561-564.