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Psychometric Properties of the WHOQOL-BREF in an Iranian Adult Sample

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An Erratum to this article was published on 21 February 2010

Abstract

To evaluate discriminant validity, reliability, internal consistency, and dimensional structure of the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) in a heterogeneous Iranian population. A clustered randomized sample of 2,956 healthy with 2,936 unhealthy rural and urban inhabitants aged 30 and above from two dissimilar Iranian provinces during 2006 completed the Persian version of the WHOQOL-BREF. We performed descriptive and analytical analysis including t-student, correlation matrix, Cronbach’s Alpha, and factor analysis with principal components method and Varimax rotation with SPSS.15. The mean age of the participants was 42.2 ± 12.1 years and the mean years of education was 9.3 ± 3.8. The Iranian version of the WHOQOL-BREF domain scores demonstrated good internal consistency, criterion validity, and discriminant validity. The physical health domain contributed most in overall quality of life, while the environment domain made the least contribution. Factor analysis provided evidence for construct validity for four-factor model of the instrument. The scores of all domains discriminated between healthy persons and the patients. The WHOQOL-BREF has adequate psychometric properties and is, therefore, an adequate measure for assessing quality of life at the domain level in an adult Iranian population.

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Acknowledgments

This study was sponsored by the office of the deputy of research Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan-Iran. It was conduced by the Medical Education Research Centre in joint venture with Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Centre, affiliated to Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. We are grateful to Dr Adibi P, the deputy research, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan Iran. We are extremely grateful to Professor R. K. Hebsur, ex-head of the Department of Research methodology, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai-India, for his meticulous and careful editing work and useful suggestions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical Education Research Centre (MERC), Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

    A. R. Usefy

  2. Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

    Gh. R. Ghassemi

  3. Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Centre, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

    N. Sarrafzadegan

  4. Zenderood Clinic of Social Work, Isfahan, Iran

    S. Mallik

  5. Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Centre, WHO Collaborating Centre, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

    A. M. Baghaei

  6. Cardiac Rehabilitation Department, Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Centre, WHO Collaborating Centre, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

    K. Rabiei

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  1. A. R. Usefy
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  2. Gh. R. Ghassemi
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  3. N. Sarrafzadegan
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  4. S. Mallik
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  5. A. M. Baghaei
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  6. K. Rabiei
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gh. R. Ghassemi.

Additional information

An erratum to this article can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10597-010-9292-6

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Usefy, A.R., Ghassemi, G.R., Sarrafzadegan, N. et al. Psychometric Properties of the WHOQOL-BREF in an Iranian Adult Sample. Community Ment Health J 46, 139–147 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-009-9282-8

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