Can We Apply WHOQOL-AGE to Asian Population? Verifying Its Factor Structure and Psychometric Properties in a Convenience Sample From Taiwan

Abstract

Objectives: To translate and validate a recently developed quality of life instrument (WHOQOL-AGE) on geriatric population into Chinese. Method: Using cross-sectional observational design, the WHOQOL-AGE was conducted among older people through interview. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to examine the factor structure and multigroup CFA used to examine the measurement invariance. Results: Through convenience sampling, 522 older adults (mean age = 73.42) participated in the study. Among them, 194 were males, 213 had an educational level at primary school or below, 398 were residing in the community, and 307 were aged 70 years or above. A bifactor structure (items Q1-Q8 are embedded in the factor 1; items Q9-Q13 embedded in the factor 2; and all the items embedded in an additional construct of QoL) was confirmed by the CFA in both the entire sample (χ² = 25.4; df = 51; p = 0.999) and the subgroup sample with age 70 years or above (χ² = 25.28; df = 51; p = 1.000). Multigroup CFAs results supported the measurement invariance for the WHOQOL-AGE across genders, having different educational levels, living in different settings and age groups. It also shows good known-groups validity. Conclusions: The promising psychometric properties of the WHOQOL-AGE were found in our convenience sample of older Taiwanese. The supported measurement invariance indicates that the older people in different conditions of gender, educational level, and living setting interpret the WHOQOL-AGE similarly. However, our results should be interpreted with cautious because of the sample representativeness.

Keywords: Asia; confirmatory factor analysis - CFA; elders; measurement invariance (MI); quality of life.