title: A validity study of the WHOQOL-BREF assessment in persons with traumatic spinal cord injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the distribution of the scores, internal consistency, structure, and discriminant validity of the abbreviated version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) assessment in persons with traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Validation study using multitrait analysis and known-groups methods.
  
  
  METHODS
  Community and hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Persons with SCI (N=111) and non-SCI respondents (N=169).
  
  
  METHODS
  Not applicable.
  
  
  METHODS
  The WHOQOL-BREF assessment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The frequency distribution of the 4 domains of the WHOQOL-BREF assessment was nearly symmetric and showed no floor or ceiling effects. All domains showed good internal consistency (Cronbach alpha range, .74-.78), with the exception of the social relationships domain (alpha=.54). The 4-domain structure of the WHOQOL-BREF assessment was confirmed using multitrait analysis. The discriminant validity of the WHOQOL-BREF assessment in persons with SCI was satisfactory.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The WHOQOL-BREF assessment is suitable for measuring QOL as perceived by a person with SCI.
authors.affiliation: School of Occupational Therapy, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yuh
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Ching-Lin
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: Yen-Ho
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yi-Hsuan
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001828:Body Image; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012919:Social Behavior; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D013624:Taiwan; D014944:World Health Organization