Internal and external validity of the WHO Well-Being Scale in the elderly general population.
The objectives of this study were (i) to evaluate the validity of the WHO Well-Being Scale in elderly subjects and (ii) to assess the influence of demographic variables on subjective quality of life. A sample of 254 elderly subjects completed the 22-item WHO Well-Being Scale. The scale had an adequate internal and external validity. However, the short 10-item and 5-item versions were equally valid. Low scores indicating decreased well-being were related to the presence of a psychiatric disorder or, independently, to poor living conditions. The Well-Being Scale and their short versions would appear to be useful instruments for identifying subjects with reduced subjective quality of life.
Heun
R
R
Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn, Germany.
Burkart
M
M
Maier
W
W
Bech
P
P
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006304:Health Status; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014944:World Health Organization