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Health and role functioning: the use of focus groups in the development of an item bank

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Abstract

Background

Role functioning is an important part of health-related quality of life. However, assessment of role functioning is complicated by the wide definition of roles and by fluctuations in role participation across the life-span. The aim of this study is to explore variations in role functioning across the lifespan using qualitative approaches, to inform the development of a role functioning item bank and to pilot test sample items from the bank.

Methods

Eight focus groups were conducted with a convenience sample of 38 English-speaking adults recruited in Rhode Island. Participants were stratified by gender and four age groups. Focus groups were taped, transcribed, and analyzed for thematic content.

Results

Participants of all ages identified family roles as the most important. There was age variation in the importance of social life roles, with younger and older adults rating them as more important.

Occupational roles were identified as important by younger and middle-aged participants. The potential of health problems to affect role participation was recognized. Participants found the sample items easy to understand, response options identical in meaning and preferred five response choices.

Conclusions

Participants identified key aspects of role functioning and provided insights on their perception of the impact of health on their role participation. These results will inform item bank generation.

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Acknowledgments

The project described was supported by Award Number 1K01AG028760-01A1 from the National Institute on Aging. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute on Aging or the National Institutes of Health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Ave North, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA

    Milena D. Anatchkova

  2. National Research Center for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Jakob B. Bjorner

  3. QualityMetric Incorporated, Lincoln, RI, USA

    Jakob B. Bjorner

Authors
  1. Milena D. Anatchkova
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  2. Jakob B. Bjorner
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Correspondence to Milena D. Anatchkova.

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Anatchkova, M.D., Bjorner, J.B. Health and role functioning: the use of focus groups in the development of an item bank. Qual Life Res 19, 111–123 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-009-9570-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-009-9570-3

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