Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Reporting of Measurement Validity in Articles Published in Quality of Life Research

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Validity and Validation in Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Part of the book series: Social Indicators Research Series ((SINS,volume 54))

Abstract

Quality of life in health has received a great deal of attention in research, policy, and clinical practice. Measurement (psychometric) validity is a central issue in the development and evaluation of quality of life instruments. In this study, we examined the reporting of validity evidence in articles published in the 2012 volume of the journal Quality of Life Research, the official journal of the International Society for Quality of Life Research (ISOQOL) and the leading academic journal in health-related quality of life research. The journal’s official website was used to search for research articles for our study. Thirty-three articles were reviewed. The number of sources of validity evidence reported per study ranged from zero to five, with a mode of two. The sources of validity evidence reported included internal structure (n = 20 [60.6 %]), construct validity (n = 19 [57.6 %]), convergent validity (n = 19 [57.6 %]), discriminant validity (n = 14 [42.4 %]), concurrent validity (n = 8 [24.2 %]), content validity (n = 4 [12.1 %]), and predictive validity (n = 1 [3.0 %]). Validity evidence regarding response processes and consequences were not reported in any of the studies. Our findings suggest that researchers conducting validation studies are not relying on only one source of validity evidence at the exclusion of all others. However, certain sources of evidence central to the validity claim are not reported.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    References marked with an asterisk indicate studies included in the review.

References

References marked with an asterisk indicate studies included in the review.

  • Acquadro, C., Berzon, R., Dubois, D., Leidy, N. K., Marquis, P., Revicki, D., et al. (2003). Incorporating patient’s perspective into drug development and communication: An ad hoc task force report of the patient-reported outcomes (PRO) harmonization group meeting at the Food and Drug Administration, February 16, 2001. Value in Health, 6, 522–531.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Al-Janabi, H., Peters, T. J., Brazier, J., Bryan, S., Flynn, T. N., Clemens, S., Moody, A., & Coast, J. (2013). An investigation of the construct validity of the ICECAP-A capability measure. Quality of Life Research, 22, 1831–1840.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • American Educational Research Association (AERA), American Psychological Association (APA), & National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME). (1999). Standards for educational and psychological testing. Washington, DC: American Educational Research Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • *Ashing-Giwa, K., & Rosales, M. (2013). A cross-cultural validation of patient-reported outcomes measures: A study of breast cancers survivors. Quality of Life Research, 22, 295–308.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Baroin, A., Chopard, G., Siliman, G., Michoudet, C., Vivot, A., Vidal, C., Mokadym, H., Lavier, A., Berger, E., Rumbach, L., & Rude, N. (2013). Validation of a new quality of life scale related to multiple sclerosis and relapses. Quality of Life Research, 22, 1943–1954.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Bartram, D. J., Sinclair, J. M., & Baldwin, D. S. (2013). Further validation of the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS) in the UK veterinary profession: Rasch analysis. Quality of Life Research, 22, 379–391.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brundage, M., Blazeby, J., Revicki, D., Bass, B., de Vet, H., Duffy, H., et al. (2013). Patient-reported outcomes in randomized clinical trials: Development of ISOQOL reporting standards. Quality of Life Research, 22, 1161–1175.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Calvert, M., Blazeby, J., Altma, D. G., Revicki, D. A., Moher, D., & Brundage, M. D., for the CONSORT PRO Group. (2013). Reporting of patient-reported outcomes in randomized trials: The CONSORT PRO extension. Journal of the American Medical Association, 309, 814–822.

    Google Scholar 

  • *Cho, S., Kim, H. Y., & Lee, J. H. (2013). Validation of the Korean version of the Pain Catastrophizing Scale in patients with chronic non-cancer pain. Quality of Life Research, 22, 1767–1772.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cizek, G. J., Rosenberg, S. L., & Koons, H. H. (2008). Sources of validity evidence for educational and psychological tests. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 68, 397–412.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cizek, G. J., Bowen, D., & Church, K. (2010). Sources of validity evidence for educational and psychological tests: A follow-up study. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 70, 732–743.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Detmar, S. B., Muller, M. J., Schornagel, J. H., Wever, L. D. V., & Aaronson, N. K. (2002). Health-related quality-of-life assessments and patient-physician communication: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of the American Medical Association, 228, 3027–3034.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Efficace, F., Bottomley, A., Coens, C., van Steen, K., Conroy, T., Schöffski, P., et al. (2006). Does a patient’s self-reported health-related quality of life predict survival beyond key biomedical data in advanced colorectal cancer? European Journal of Cancer, 42, 42–49.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • European Medicines Agency. (2005). Reflection paper on the regulatory guidance for the use of Health-Related Quality of Life [HRQL] measures in the evaluation of medicinal products. London: European Medicines Agency.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fayers, P., & Machin, D. (2007). Quality of life: The assessment, analysis and interpretation of patient-reported outcomes (2nd ed.). Chichester: Wiley.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • *Ferreira, N. B., Eugenicos, M. P., Morris, P. G., & Gillanders, D. T. (2013). Measuring acceptance in irritable bowel syndrome: Preliminary validation of an adapted scale and construct utility. Quality of Life Research, 22, 1761–1766.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Food and Drug Administration. (2009). Guidance for industry: Patient-reported outcome measures: Use in medical product development to support labeling claims. Rockville: Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

    Google Scholar 

  • *Frans, F. A., van Wijngaarden, S. E., Met, R., & Koelemay, M. J. W. (2012). Validation of the Dutch version of the VascuQol questionnaire and the Amsterdam linear disability score in patients with intermittent claudication. Quality of Life Research, 21, 1487–1493.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Franz, M., Fritz, M., & Meyer, T. (2013). Discriminant and convergent validity of a subjective quality-of-life instrument aimed at high content validity for schizophrenic persons. Quality of Life Research, 22, 1113–1122.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Gonçalves, R. S., Gil, J. N., Cavalheiro, L. M., Costa, R. D., & Ferreira, P. L. (2012). Reliability and validity of the Portuguese version of the Stroke Impact Scale 2.0 (SIS 2.0). Quality of Life Research, 21, 691–696.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greenhalgh, J., & Meadows, K. (1999). The effectiveness of the use of patient-based measures of health in routine practice in improving the process and outcomes of patient care: A literature review. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 5, 401–416.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Holzhausen, M., & Martus, P. (2013). Validation of a new patient-generated questionnaire for quality of life in an urban sample of elder residents. Quality of Life Research, 22, 131–135.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Horsman, S., Olson, K., Au, H., & Ghosh, S. (2012). Symptom assessment in ambulatory oncology: Initial validation of the nurse-developed Modified Ambulatory Care Flow Sheet (MACFS). Quality of Life Research, 21, 899–908.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hubley, A. M., & Zumbo, B. D. (2011). Validity and the consequences of test interpretation and use. Social Indicators Research, 103, 219–230.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hubley, A. M., & Zumbo, B. D. (2013). Psychometric characteristics of assessment procedures: An overview. In K. F. Geisinger (Ed.), APA handbook of testing and assessment in psychology (Vol. 1, pp. 3–19). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • *Huijier, H. A., Sagherian, K., & Tamim, H. (2013). Validation of the Arabic version of the EORTC quality of life questionnaire among cancer patients in Lebanon. Quality of Life Research, 22, 1473–1481.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Hunger, M., Sabariego, C., Stollenwerk, B., Cieza, A., & Leidi, R. (2012). Validity, reliability and responsiveness of the EQ-5D in German stroke patients undergoing rehabilitation. Quality of Life Research, 21, 1205–1216.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Jankovic, S., Vukicevic, J., Djordjevic, S., Jankovic, J., Marinkovic, J., & Basra, M. K. (2013). The Cardiff Acne Disability Index (CADI): Linguistic and cultural validation in Serbian. Quality of Life Research, 22, 161–166.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kane, M. T. (2006). Validation. In R. L. Brennan (Ed.), Educational measurement (4th ed., pp. 17–64). Westport: American Council on Education/Praeger.

    Google Scholar 

  • Karvonen-Gutierrez, C. A., Ronis, D. L., Fowler, K. E., Terrell, J. E., Gruber, S. B., & Duffy, S. A. (2008). Quality of life scores predict survival among patients with head and neck cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 26, 2754–2760.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Kleinman, L., Benjamin, K., Viswanathan, H., Mattera, M. S., Bosserman, L., Blayney, D. W., & Revicki, D. A. (2012). The anemia impact measure (AIM): Development and content validation of a patient-reported outcome measure of anemia symptoms and symptom impacts in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. Quality of Life Research, 21, 1255–1266.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Knibb, R. C., & Stalker, C. (2012). Validation of the food allergy quality of life-parental burden questionnaire in the UK. Quality of Life Research, 22, 1841–1849.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kopec, J. A., & Willison, K. D. (2003). A comparative review of four preference-weighted measures of health-related quality of life. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 56, 317–325.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Krägeloh, C. U., Kersten, P., Rex Billington, D., Hsu, P. H., Shepherd, D., Landon, J., & Feng, X. J. (2013). Validation of the WHOQOL-BREF quality of life questionnaire for general use in New Zealand: Confirmatory factor analysis and Rasch analysis. Quality of Life Research, 22, 1451–1457.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Lafaye, A., De Chalvron, S., Houédé, N., Eghbali, H., & Cousson-Gélie, F. (2013). The Caregivers Quality of Life Cancer index scale (CQoLC): An exploratory factor analysis for validation in French cancer patients’ spouses. Quality of Life Research, 22, 119–122.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Landgraf, J. M., Vogel, I., Oostenbrink, R., van Baar, M. E., & Raat, H. (2013). Parent-reported health outcomes in infants/toddlers: Measurement properties and clinical validity of the ITQOL-SF47. Quality of Life Research, 22, 635–646.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Launois, R., Le Moine, J. G., Lozano, F. S., & Mansilha, A. (2012). Construction and international validation of CIVIQ-14 (a short form of CIVIQ-20), a new questionnaire with a stable factorial structure. Quality of Life Research, 21, 1051–1058.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Löve, J., Moore, C. D., & Hensing, G. (2012). Validation of the Swedish translation of the general self-efficacy scale. Quality of Life Research, 21, 1249–1253.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Lucas-Carrasco, R. (2012). The WHO quality of life (WHOQOL) questionnaire: Spanish development and validation studies. Quality of Life Research, 21, 161–165.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Magasi, S., Ryan, G., Revicki, D., Lenderking, W., Hays, R. D., Brod, M., Snyder, C., Boers, M., & Cella, D. (2012). Content validity of patient-reported outcome measures: Perspectives from a PROMIS meeting. Quality of Life Research, 21, 739–746.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maione, P., Perrone, F., Gallo, C., Manzione, L., Piantedosi, F., Barbera, S., et al. (2005). Pretreatment quality of life and functional status assessment significantly predict survival of elderly patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer receiving chemotherapy: A prognostic analysis of the Multicenter Italian Lung Cancer in the Elderly Study. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 23, 6865–6872.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marshall, S., Haywood, K., & Fitzpatrick, R. (2006). Impact of patient-reported outcome measures on routine practice: A structured review. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 12, 559–568.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maurer, D. M. (2012). Screening for depression. American Family Physician, 85, 139–144.

    Google Scholar 

  • Messick, S. (1989). Validity. In R. L. Linn (Ed.), Educational measurement (3rd ed., pp. 13–103). New York: American Council on Education and Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Messick, S. (1995). Validity of psychological assessment: Validation of inferences from person’s responses and performances as scientific inquiry into score meaning. American Psychologist, 50, 741–749.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Montazeri, A. (2009). Quality of life data as prognostic indicators of survival in cancer patients: An overview of the literature from 1982 to 2008. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 7, 102.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Monticone, M., Baiardi, P., Ferrari, S., Foti, C., Mugnai, R., Pillastrini, P., Rocca, B., & Vanti, C. (2012). Development of the Italian version of the Pain Catastrophising Scale (PCS-I): Cross-cultural adaptation, factor analysis, reliability, validity and sensitivity to change. Quality of Life Research, 21, 1045–1050.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Monticone, M., Ferrante, S., Giorgi, I., Galandra, C., Rocca, B., & Foti, C. (2013). Development of the Italian version of the 42-item Chronic Pain Coping Inventory, CPCI-I: Cross-cultural adaptation, factor analysis, reliability and validity. Quality of Life Research, 22, 1459–1465.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Ostini, R., Dower, J., & Donald, M. (2012). The Audit of Diabetes-Dependent Quality of Life 19 (ADDQoL): Feasibility, reliability and validity in a population-based sample of Australian adults. Quality of Life Research, 21, 1471–1477.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pignone, M. P., Gaynes, B. N., Rushton, J. L., Burchell, C. M., Orleans, C. T., Mulrow, C. D., & Lohr, K. N. (2002). Screening for depression in adults: A summary of the evidence for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Annals of Internal Medicine, 136, 765–776.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Richardson, C. G., & Zumbo, B. D. (2000). A statistical examination of the Health Utility Index-Mark III as a summary measure of health. Social Indicators Research, 51, 171–191.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Santanello, N. C., Baker, D., & Cappelleri, J. C. (2002). Regulatory issues for health-related quality of life – PhRMA Health Outcomes Committee Workshop, 1999. Value in Health, 5, 14–25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Sarkin, A. J., Groessl, E. L., Carlson, J. A., Tally, S. R., Kaplan, R. M., Sieber, W. J., & Ganiats, T. G. (2013). Development and validation of a mental health subscale from the Quality of Well-Being Self-Administered. Quality of Life Research, 22, 1685–1696.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Sawatzky, R., Ratner, P. A., Kopec, J. A., & Zumbo, B. D. (2012). Latent variable mixture models: A promising approach for the validation of patient reported outcomes. Quality of Life Research, 21, 637–650.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scientific Advisory Committee of the Medical Outcomes Trust. (2002). Assessing health status and quality-of-life instruments: Attributes and review criteria. Quality of Life Research, 11, 193–205.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sharp, L. K., & Lipsky, M. S. (2002). Screening for depression across the lifespan: A review of measures for use in primary care settings. American Family Physician, 66, 1001–1008.

    Google Scholar 

  • *Stevanovic, D., Tadic, I., Novakovic, T., Kisic-Tepavcevic, D., & Ravens-Sieberer, U. (2013). Evaluating the Serbian version of the KIDSCREEN quality-of-life questionnaires: Reliability, validity, and agreement between children’s and parents’ ratings. Quality of Life Research, 22, 1729–1737.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *ten Klooster, P. M., Taal, E., Oostveen, J. C., Harmsen, E. J., Tugwell, P. S., Rader, T., Lyddiatt, A., & van de Laar, M. A. (2013). Translation and validation of the Dutch version of the Effective Consumer Scale (EC-17). Quality of Life Research, 22, 423–429.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Uysal, M. A., Mungan, D., Yorgancioglu, A., Yildiz, F., Akgun, M., Gemicioglu, B., Turktas, H., & The Turkish Asthma Control Test (TACT) Study Group. (2013). The validation of the Turkish version of Asthma Control Test. Quality of Life Research, 22, 1773–1779.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Velikova, G., Booth, L., Smith, A. B., Brown, P. M., Lynch, P., Brown, J. M., & Selby, P. J. (2004). Measuring quality of life in routine oncology practice improves communication and patient well-being: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 22, 714–724.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organization. (1948). Preamble to the Constitution of the World Health Organization as adopted by the International Health Conference, New York, 19–22 June, 1946; signed on 22 July 1946 by the representatives of 61 States (Official Records of the World Health Organization, no. 2, p. 100) and entered into force on 7 April 1948.

    Google Scholar 

  • *Yoo, H. J., Kim, S. B., Yoon, D. H., Park, S. I., Kim, J. H., Cella, D., Jung, H. Y., Lee, G. H., Choi, K. D., Song, H. J., Song, H. Y., Shin, J. H., & Cho, K. J. (2012). Translation and validation of Korean Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Esophageal (FACT-E) scale with squamous cell carcinoma and chemoradiation-only patients. Quality of Life Research, 21, 1451–1457.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Yuksel, H., Yilmaz, O., Dogru, D., Karadag, B., Unal, F., & Quittner, A. L. (2013). Reliability and validity of the Cystic Fibrosis Questionnaire-Revised for children and parents in Turkey: Cross-sectional study. Quality of Life Research, 22, 409–414.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Zhao, H. P., Liu, Y., Li, H. L., Ma, L., Zhang, Y. J., & Wang, J. (2013). Activity limitation and participation restrictions of breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy: Psychometric properties and validation of the Chinese version of the WHODAS 2.0. Quality of Life Research, 22, 897–906.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zumbo, B. D. (2007). Validity: Foundational issues and statistical methodology. In C. R. Rao & S. Sinharay (Eds.), Psychometrics (Handbook of statistics, Vol. 26, pp. 45–79). Amsterdam/Boston: Elsevier Science B.V.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Zumbo, B. D. (2009). Validity as contextualized and pragmatic explanation, and its implications for validation practice. In R. W. Lissitz (Ed.), The concept of validity: Revisions, new directions and applications (pp. 65–82). Charlotte: Information Age Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Measurement, Evaluation, and Research Methodology (MERM) Program, Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology, and Special Education, The University of British Columbia, 2125 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada

    Eric K. H. Chan, Bruno D. Zumbo Ph.D., Michelle Y. Chen & Wen Zhang

  2. Department of Educational Psychology and Guidance, State University of Surabaya, Ketintang Baru XIV/2, Surabaya, East Java, 60231, Indonesia

    Ira Darmawanti & Olievia P. Mulyana

Authors
  1. Eric K. H. Chan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Bruno D. Zumbo Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Michelle Y. Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Wen Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Ira Darmawanti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Olievia P. Mulyana
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Eric K. H. Chan .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Measurement, Evaluation, and Research Methodology (MERM) Program, Department of Educational and Counseling, Psychology, and Special Education, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

    Bruno D. Zumbo

  2. Measurement, Evaluation, and Research Methodology (MERM) Program Department of Educational and Counseling, Psychology, and Special Education, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

    Eric K.H. Chan

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Chan, E.K.H., Zumbo, B.D., Chen, M.Y., Zhang, W., Darmawanti, I., Mulyana, O.P. (2014). Reporting of Measurement Validity in Articles Published in Quality of Life Research . In: Zumbo, B., Chan, E. (eds) Validity and Validation in Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences. Social Indicators Research Series, vol 54. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-07794-9_12

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation