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The significance of importance: an evaluation of ferrans and powers' quality of life index.

Hagell, Peter LU and Westergren, Albert LU (2006) In Quality of Life Research 15(5). p.867-876
Abstract
Ferrans and Powers’ Quality of Life Index (QLI) defines and assesses quality of life (QoL) in terms of importance-weighted life satisfaction. This study assessed the value of such weights and explored the relationship between weighted and unweighted (satisfaction only) scores and single-item rated overall life satisfaction (LS) and QoL. Data were collected by a postal survey to 81 Parkinson’s disease patients (88% response rate). Correlations between weighted and unweighted QLI scores were ≥0.96, except for one subscale (rs = 0.85). Item non-response rates ranged between 4.2 and 45.1% and 1.4 and 38% for the weighted and unweighted QLI, respectively. Cronbach’s α exceeded 0.7 for weighted and unweighted versions of two out of the four... (More)
Ferrans and Powers’ Quality of Life Index (QLI) defines and assesses quality of life (QoL) in terms of importance-weighted life satisfaction. This study assessed the value of such weights and explored the relationship between weighted and unweighted (satisfaction only) scores and single-item rated overall life satisfaction (LS) and QoL. Data were collected by a postal survey to 81 Parkinson’s disease patients (88% response rate). Correlations between weighted and unweighted QLI scores were ≥0.96, except for one subscale (rs = 0.85). Item non-response rates ranged between 4.2 and 45.1% and 1.4 and 38% for the weighted and unweighted QLI, respectively. Cronbach’s α exceeded 0.7 for weighted and unweighted versions of two out of the four subscales and the total score. Scaling success rates were similar for weighted and unweighted scores and did not support the current subscale structure. Unexpectedly, weighted total scores correlated stronger with LS than with QoL, and unweighted scores displayed the opposite pattern. This study found no advantages by using importance-weighted satisfaction scores. The correlational pattern with overall LS and QoL challenges the QLI approach to QoL, although these observations may relate to the use of multiplicative item weights. This study has implications also beyond the QLI regarding, e.g., the use of multiplicative weights and the relationship between life satisfaction and QoL. (Less)
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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Life satisfaction, Quality of life, Scaling, Weights
in
Quality of Life Research
volume
15
issue
5
pages
867 - 876
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • wos:000237826200010
  • pmid:16721646
  • scopus:33744502364
ISSN
1573-2649
DOI
10.1007/s11136-005-5467-y
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
52b935bf-7635-44a0-861a-792dd7401e24 (old id 156582)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 17:06:15
date last changed
2024-01-25 14:38:31
@article{52b935bf-7635-44a0-861a-792dd7401e24,
  abstract     = {{Ferrans and Powers’ Quality of Life Index (QLI) defines and assesses quality of life (QoL) in terms of importance-weighted life satisfaction. This study assessed the value of such weights and explored the relationship between weighted and unweighted (satisfaction only) scores and single-item rated overall life satisfaction (LS) and QoL. Data were collected by a postal survey to 81 Parkinson’s disease patients (88% response rate). Correlations between weighted and unweighted QLI scores were ≥0.96, except for one subscale (rs = 0.85). Item non-response rates ranged between 4.2 and 45.1% and 1.4 and 38% for the weighted and unweighted QLI, respectively. Cronbach’s α exceeded 0.7 for weighted and unweighted versions of two out of the four subscales and the total score. Scaling success rates were similar for weighted and unweighted scores and did not support the current subscale structure. Unexpectedly, weighted total scores correlated stronger with LS than with QoL, and unweighted scores displayed the opposite pattern. This study found no advantages by using importance-weighted satisfaction scores. The correlational pattern with overall LS and QoL challenges the QLI approach to QoL, although these observations may relate to the use of multiplicative item weights. This study has implications also beyond the QLI regarding, e.g., the use of multiplicative weights and the relationship between life satisfaction and QoL.}},
  author       = {{Hagell, Peter and Westergren, Albert}},
  issn         = {{1573-2649}},
  keywords     = {{Life satisfaction; Quality of life; Scaling; Weights}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{5}},
  pages        = {{867--876}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Quality of Life Research}},
  title        = {{The significance of importance: an evaluation of ferrans and powers' quality of life index.}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/4875897/625456.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s11136-005-5467-y}},
  volume       = {{15}},
  year         = {{2006}},
}