Clinical applicability of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF) to mothers of children with asthma in Taiwan.

AIMS

This study examined the clinical applicability of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale brief version (WHOQOL-BREF) to mothers of children with asthma in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND

The WHOQOL-BREF scale has been culturally adapted for Taiwan and applied to a variety of ill and healthy subjects in hospitals and the community and to the general population in the 2001 National Health Interview Survey in Taiwan. Its application to explore the QOL of mothers of children with asthma in Taiwan allows future cross-population comparisons.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional survey.

METHODS

Internal consistency, test-retest reliability; content validity, criterion-related validity and discriminant validity were assessed. A total of 229 mothers participated in the study.

RESULTS

The WHOQOL-BREF showed acceptable psychometric properties. Internal consistency of 0.63-0.84, content validity r = 0.39-0.65 (p < 0.01) and criterion-related validity r = 0.28-0.65 (p < 0.05) were reported. Discriminant validity was also found, especially in the domain of physical health. Issues of QOL for mothers, especially in the realm of physical health need more support and attention from health professionals.

CONCLUSIONS

This study supports the clinical applicability of the WHOQOL-BREF scale as a measure of QOL of mothers of children with asthma. Future studies to compare the QOL measured by WHOQOL-BREF in female caregivers of children with other chronic health conditions are suggested.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

Our findings show that mothers are hardly ever free from the strains of the daily-care of an asthmatic and bear the uncertainties for the unending illness. The health care team is responsible for providing collaborative care approaches in hospital, home and school health care settings for children with asthma and their mothers.