Validity of the Brazilian version of WHOQOL-BREF in depressed patients using Rasch modelling.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the validity of the Brazilian version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument - Abbreviated version (WHOQOL-BREF) in adults with major depression, using Rasch modelling.


METHODS
Study analyzing data from the baseline sample of the Longitudinal Investigation of Depression Outcomes in Brazil, including a total of 208 patients with major depression recruited in a primary care service in Porto Alegre (Southern Brazil), in 1999. The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale was used to assess intensity of depression; the WHOQOL-BREF to assess generic quality of life; and the Composite International Diagnostic Interview version 2.1 for the diagnosis of depression.


RESULTS
In the Rasch analysis, the four domains of WHOQOL-BREF showed appropriate fit to this model. Some items needed adjustments: four items were rescored (pain, finances, services, and transport); two items (work and activity) were identified as having dependency of responses, and one item was deleted (sleep) due to multidimensionality.


CONCLUSIONS
The validation of the WHOQOL-BREF Brazilian version using Rasch analysis complements previous validation studies, evidencing the robustness of this instrument as a generic cross-cultural quality of life measure.
Rocha
Neusa Sica da
NS
Hospital de Clínicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. neusa-rocha@via-rs.net
Fleck
Marcelo Pio de Almeida
MP
D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007802:Language; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D014944:World Health Organization