Authors: Monika Kacmarova & Peter Babincak, University of Presov, Slovakia
Email: monika.kacmarova@unipo.sk
Published: December 2015
https://doi.org/10.22492/ijpbs.1.1.01
Citation: Kacmarova, M., & Babincak, P. (2015). A Structured Review of Generic and Specific Instruments for Measuring the Subjectively Assessed Quality of Life of Seniors. IAFOR Journal of Psychology & the Behavioral Sciences, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.22492/ijpbs.1.1.01
Abstract
The objective of the study is to offer a review of the instruments designed for measuring the subjectively assessed quality of life of seniors. At present it is possible to notice an increase of interest in the issue of the quality of life of specific groups of population; in addition, there is a large number of tools for its measuring. The aim of the present study is to provide a systematic review of generic and specific instruments for measuring quality of life of seniors which have been published in peer-reviewed journals and whose psychometric parameters have been verified. The search procedure formed a part of a larger retrieval search in which we analyzed 4829 abstracts in EBSCO and ProQuest Central full-text databases. We found 831 instruments which claimed to be measuring quality of life and were verified their reliability or validity. We identified 3 groups of instruments suitable for use in the senior age-group: generic methodologies applicable to adults in general, 7 generic tools and 9 specific tools designed exclusively for the senior age. The paper presents the measures designed for seniors who were analyzed and compared with regard to their psychometric parameters, purpose and theoretical framework utilized for their construction. In conclusion the authors of the study provide recommendations for the use of the selected methodologies for measuring the subjectively assessed quality of life of seniors.
Keywords
quality of life, generic instruments, specific instruments, review, seniors