Scale Overview
The Flanagan’s Quality of Life Scale – QOLS was developed by John C. Flanagan (1978). It is designed to measure Quality of Life. The scale is intended for use with Adults, including those with chronic illness.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 16 items organized into 5 factors/subscales: Material and physical well-being, Relationships with other people, Social, community and civic activities, Personal development and fulfillment, Recreation.
| Factor / Subscale |
Items |
N |
| Material and physical well-being |
1,2 |
2 |
| Relationships with other people |
3,4,5,6 |
4 |
| Social, community and civic activities |
7,8 |
2 |
| Personal development and fulfillment |
9,10,11,12,16 |
5 |
| Recreation |
13,14,15 |
3 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Terrible, 2 = Unhappy, 3 = Mostly Dissatisfied, 4 = Mixed, 5 = Mostly Satisfied, 6 = Pleased, 7 = Delighted.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 16 to 112. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Quality of Life: 16 – 56
- Moderate Quality of Life: 57 – 89
- High Quality of Life: 90 – 112
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.82 – 0.92.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.