Examining the relationship between global and domain measures of quality of life by three factor structure models

TY - JOUR

T1 - Examining the relationship between global and domain measures of quality of life by three factor structure models

AU - Wu, Chia Huei

AU - Yao, Grace

N1 - Funding Information: Acknowledgements This study was supported by the National Science Council (NSC 94-2413-H-002-018) and the National Health Research Institute (NHRI-EX94-9204PP).

PY - 2007/11

Y1 - 2007/11

N2 - This study examined the relationship between global and domain measures of quality of life from a psychometric perspective by three different factor structure models. Three hundred and four students at National Taiwan University participated in this study. They completed the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS, a global measurement for quality of life) and the WHOQOL-BREF (a domain-specific measurement for quality of life). Three models were specified to examine the relationships among scores of the SWLS and the WHOQOL-BREF. The first model was a common factor model in which scores of the SWLS and the WHOQOL-BREF were all influenced by a single factor. The second model was a correlated two-factor model in which scores of the SWLS were influenced by one factor and scores of the WHOQOL-BREF influenced by another factor, with these two factors being allowed to be correlated. The third model was a three-factor model, in which one factor (representing quality of life) influenced the scores of the SWLS and the WHOQOL-BREF, another factor (representing global approach) only influenced the scores of the SWLS, and yet another factor (representing domain approach) only influenced the scores of the WHOQOL-BREF. The results showed that the third model was the best, suggesting that global measures (the SWLS) and domain measures (the WHOQOL-BREF) did assess the same construct on quality of life, however, the measurement approaches they adopted (global or domain approach) also have substantial impact on the meaning of scores.

AB - This study examined the relationship between global and domain measures of quality of life from a psychometric perspective by three different factor structure models. Three hundred and four students at National Taiwan University participated in this study. They completed the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS, a global measurement for quality of life) and the WHOQOL-BREF (a domain-specific measurement for quality of life). Three models were specified to examine the relationships among scores of the SWLS and the WHOQOL-BREF. The first model was a common factor model in which scores of the SWLS and the WHOQOL-BREF were all influenced by a single factor. The second model was a correlated two-factor model in which scores of the SWLS were influenced by one factor and scores of the WHOQOL-BREF influenced by another factor, with these two factors being allowed to be correlated. The third model was a three-factor model, in which one factor (representing quality of life) influenced the scores of the SWLS and the WHOQOL-BREF, another factor (representing global approach) only influenced the scores of the SWLS, and yet another factor (representing domain approach) only influenced the scores of the WHOQOL-BREF. The results showed that the third model was the best, suggesting that global measures (the SWLS) and domain measures (the WHOQOL-BREF) did assess the same construct on quality of life, however, the measurement approaches they adopted (global or domain approach) also have substantial impact on the meaning of scores.

KW - Confirmatory factor analysis

KW - Domain-specific

KW - Global

KW - Measurement

KW - Quality of life

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=34648843696&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/s11205-006-9082-2

DO - 10.1007/s11205-006-9082-2

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:34648843696

SN - 0303-8300

VL - 84

SP - 189

EP - 202

JO - SOCIAL INDICATORS RESEARCH

JF - SOCIAL INDICATORS RESEARCH

IS - 2

ER -