Abstract
To evaluate the reliability, the validity and the clinical usefulness of a revised self-completed questionnaire for QOL (QUIK-R), which we designed, and to clarify the significance of measuring the QOL, the results of 1, 017 office workers (male 733: female 284, mean age 52±9 years) were statistically analyzed.
The QOL results were assessed by QUIK-R, which covered four domains including physical functioning, emotional adjustment, social relationships, and attitudes toward life, totaling 50 questions and a five check items.
The results were as follows:
1. The α-coefficient of QUIK-R except the check items was 0.821.
2. Close correlations among the four domains and the check items suggested high construct validity of the QUIK-R, in which four domains interacted with each other reciprocally.
3. The mean and standard deviation of total score was 3.40±3.67.
4. Very close correlation between the total QUIK-R score and the subject's age, sex, smoking, sleeping time, and exercise were seen. A multiple regression analysis also showed a salient linkage with the total score and sex and exercise.
5. Among our subjects with a good QUIK-R score, 42 discordant cases with worse overall assessment of the physical examination results had following features. Those were more in female aged from 50 to 59 years and had longer sleeping time compared with the concordant cases with better physical condition.
Our results showed that the QUIK-R was excellent tool for measuring the QOL as well as the QUIK original version, and that the subject's age, sex and life style such as smoking, sleeping and daily exercise influenced not only their physical or emotional condition, but also their QOL.
The discrepancy between the physical condition and the QOL in this study indicated that it is indispensable for health evaluation to measure the QOL.
