Towards more effective public health programming for injection drug users: development and evaluation of the injection drug user quality of life scale.

The psychometric properties of the Injection Drug User Quality of Life Scale (IDUQOL) were assessed in 61 Montreal IDUs in 2001, 85% of whom were reinterviewed within four weeks. The reliability of the IDUQOL was acceptable (ICC = 0.71) and concordance between the IDUQOL and the Flanagan Quality of Life Scale was moderate (Pearson coefficient = 0.57). Quality of life was negatively associated with injection cocaine and emergency department use with both instruments; these results were more striking for the IDUQOL. The IDUQOL is a culturally relevant quality of life instrument with good psychometric properties. The IDUQOL may be useful in the development and evaluation of interventions for IDUs.