World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument – HIV Version (WHOQOL-HIV)
A 120-item self-report instrument developed by the WHO to assess quality of life across six domains in individuals living with HIV/AIDS.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument – HIV Version (WHOQOL-HIV) was developed by WHOQOL Group (2002). It is designed to measure Quality of Life in People Living with HIV/AIDS. The scale is intended for use with Adults living with HIV/AIDS.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 120 items organized into 7 factors/subscales: Physical, Psychological, Level of Independence, Social Relationships, Environment, Spirituality/Religion/Personal Beliefs, Overall QoL.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Physical | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,43,44,63,64,90,93 | 16 |
| Psychological | 11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,45,65,66,67,68,69,91,94,95 | 20 |
| Level of Independence | 22,23,24,25,26,46,47,70,97,98,99,100,101,102,103,104 | 16 |
| Social Relationships | 27,28,29,48,49,50,51,52,71,72,73,74,75,87,89,96 | 16 |
| Environment | 30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,53,54,55,56,57,58,59,76,77,78,79,80,81,82,83,84,85,86,92 | 32 |
| Spirituality/Religion/Personal Beliefs | 105,106,107,108,109,110,111,112,113,114,115,116,117,118,119,120 | 16 |
| Overall QoL | 60,61,62,88 | 4 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = 1 (e.g., Not at all / Very dissatisfied / Very poor / Never), 2 = 2 (e.g., A little / Dissatisfied / Poor / Seldom), 3 = 3 (e.g., Moderately / Neither / Quite often), 4 = 4 (e.g., Very much / Satisfied / Good / Very often), 5 = 5 (e.g., Extremely / Very satisfied / Very good / Always).
The scale includes 48 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 4 to 20. Interpretation guidelines:
- Poor Quality of Life: 4 – 9
- Moderate Quality of Life: 10 – 14
- Good Quality of Life: 15 – 20
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha typically > 0.70 across domains.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 30 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.