- Title
- Construct validity of the Assessment of Quality of Life - 6D (AQoL-6D) in community samples
- Creator
- Allen, Joanne; Inder, Kerry J.; Lewin, Terry J.; Attia, John R.; Kelly, Brian J.
- Relation
- NHMRC.401241
- Relation
- Health and Quality of Life Outcomes Vol. 11
- Publisher Link
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1477-7525-11-61
- Publisher
- BioMed Central
- Resource Type
- journal article
- Date
- 2013
- Description
- Background: The Assessment of Quality of Life - 6D scale (AQoL-6D) is a self-report instrument designed to provide a sensitive multidimensional evaluation of health related quality of life. The current paper assesses the construct, concurrent and convergent validity of the AQoL-6D in a combined longitudinal population sample drawn from across urban, regional and remote areas of Australia. Methods: The AQoL-6D was administered within the Hunter Community Study and the Australian Rural Mental Health Study over time (mean years lag = 3.90, SD = 1.30). Observations with sufficient data were used to confirm the construct validity of the AQoL-6D domains and higher-order structure using confirmatory factor analyses (CFA, N = 7915). The stability of this structure across cohorts and over time was assessed using multi-group CFA. Additionally, the concurrent validity (against the SF-36) and convergent validity of AQoL-6D domains and factors were assessed. Results: The construct validity of the AQoL-6D domains was considered satisfactory. Two higher-order factors, representing the physical and psychological components of quality of life were identified (CFA model fit: RMSEA = .07, SRMR = .03; TLI = .96, CFI = .98). These factors displayed group and temporal invariance, as well as concurrent and convergent validity against a range of measures. Recommendations for the derivation of summary scores are provided, together with a provisional set of norms. Conclusions: The AQoL-6D is a useful tool for assessing quality of life impairment in epidemiological cohort studies, both cross-sectionally and over time. It displays appropriate levels of construct, concurrent and convergent validity. Conceptualisation of higher-order factors as representing the physical and psychological aspects of quality of life impairment may increase the sensitivity and appeal of the AQoL-6D, particularly for studies examining predictors of and changes in social and psychological outcomes.
- Subject
- Quality of Life; Australia; social outcomes; psychological outcomes
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1064435
- Identifier
- uon:17559
- Identifier
- ISSN:1477-7525
- Language
- eng
- Full Text
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