title: Validity of the Life Satisfaction questions, the Life Satisfaction Questionnaire, and the Satisfaction With Life Scale in persons with spinal cord injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess and compare the validity of 3 life satisfaction instruments in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study 5 years after discharge from inpatient rehabilitation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight rehabilitation centers with specialized SCI units.
  
  
  METHODS
  Persons (N=225) with recently acquired SCI between 18 and 65 years of age were included in a cohort study. Data were available for 145 persons 5 years after discharge.
  
  
  METHODS
  Not applicable.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Life Satisfaction questions (LS Questions), the Life Satisfaction Questionnaire (LiSat-9), and the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no floor or ceiling effects. Cronbach α was questionable for the LS Questions (.60), satisfactory for the LiSat-9 (.75), and good for the SWLS (.83). Concurrent validity was shown by strong and significant Spearman correlations (.59-.60) between all 3 life satisfaction instruments. Correlations with measures of mental health and participation were .52 to .56 for the LS Questions, .45 to .52 for the LiSat-9, and .41 to .48 for the SWLS. Divergent validity was shown by weak and in part nonsignificant correlations between the 3 life satisfaction measures and measures of functional independence and lesion characteristics.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall, the validity of all 3 life satisfaction measures was supported. Despite questionable internal consistency, the concurrent and divergent validity of the LS Questions was at least as good as the validity of the LiSat-9 and the SWLS.
authors.affiliation: Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience and Center of Excellence for Rehabilitation Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht and De Hoogstraat, Utrecht, The Netherlands. m.post@dehoogstraat.nl
authors.forename: Marcel W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Post
authors.forename: Christel M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: van Leeuwen
authors.forename: Casper F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: van Koppenhagen
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: de Groot
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000523:psychology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires