Abstract
The objective of this research is to develop a scale of perceived environmental quality of life and test its factorial structure and validity. The constitutive items of the scale were generated using semi-directive interviews. Four principal quality of life factors were isolated in an exploratory study carried out with 760 participants. This factorial structure was then established in a cross-validation of the scale during a confirmatory study applied to a second sample of 740 participants. The internal consistency of the environmental quality of life dimensions, the adequacy of the measurement model to the data, and the stability of the factorial structure are all proof of the good psychometric qualities of this scale.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Amerigo, M., & Aragones, J. I. (1997). A theoretical and methodological approach to the study of residential satisfaction. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 17(1), 47–57.
Arbuckle, J. L. (2005). AMOS 6.0. User’s guide. Chicago, IL: SPSS Inc.
Bauman, C., Erpelding, M. L., Régat, S., Collin, J. F., & Briançon, S. (2010). The WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire: French adult population norms for the physical health, psychological health and social relationship dimensions. Revue d’Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique, 58(1), 33–39.
Berelson, B. (1952). Content analysis in communication research. New York, NY, US: Free Press.
Bonaiuto, M., Aiello, A., Perugini, M., Bonnes, M., & Ercolani, A. P. (1999). Multidimensional perception of residential environment quality and neighborhood attachment in the urban environment. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 19, 331–352.
Bonnes, M., Bonaiuto, M., Aiello, A., Perugini, M., & Ercolani, A. (1997). A transactional perspective on residential satisfaction. In C. Desprès & D. Piché (Eds.), Housing surveys: advances in theory and methods (pp. 75–99). Québec, Canada: CRAD Université Laval.
Cattell, R. B. (1966). The scree test for the number of factors. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 1, 629–637.
Edwards, J. R. (2001). Multidimensional constructs in organizational behavior research: an integrative analytical framework. Organizational Research Methods, 4, 144–192.
Fabrigar, L. R., Wegener, D. T., MacCallum, R. C., & Strahan, E. J. (1999). Evaluating the use of exploratory factor analysis in psychological research. Psychological Methods, 4, 272–299.
Fornara, F., Bonaiuto, M., & Bonnes, M. (2010). Cross-validation of abbreviated perceived residential environment quality (PREQ) and neighborhood attachment (NA) indicators. Environment and Behavior, 42(2), 171–196.
Jenkins, D. D. (1992). Assessment of outcomes of health intervention. Social Science and Medicine, 35, 367–375.
Kaiser, H. F. (1960). The application of electronic computers to factor Remark. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 20, 141–151.
Leplège, A., Réveillère, C., Ecosse, E., Caria, A., & Rivière, H. (2000). Propriétés psychométriques d’un nouvel instrument d’évaluation de la qualité de vie, le WHOQOL-26, à partir d’une population de malades neuromusculaires. Encephale, 26(5), 13–22.
Mitchell, G. (2000). Indicators as tools to guide progress on the sustainable development pathway. In R. J. Lawrence (Ed.), Sustaining human settlement: a challenge for the new millennium (pp. 55–104). North Shields, UK: Urban International Press.
Muldoon, M. F., Barger, S. D., Flory, J. D., & Manuck, S. B. (1998). What are quality of life measurements measuring. British Medicine Journal, 316, 542–545.
Nordenfelt, L. (1994). Concepts and measurement of quality of life in health care. London: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Pavot, W., Diener, E., Colvin, C. R., & Sandvik, E. (1991). Further validation of the Satisfaction with Life Scale: evidence for the cross-method convergence of well-being measures. Journal of Personality Assessment, 57(1), 149–161.
Rogerson, R. (1995). Environmental and health-related QOL-conceptual and methodological similarities. Social Science and Medicine, 41(10), 1373–1382.
Shafer, C. S., Lee, B. K., & Turner, S. (2000). A tale of three grenway trails: user perceptions related to quality of life. Landscape and Urban Planning, 49, 163–178.
Szalai, A. (1980). The meaning of comparative research on the quality of life. In A. Szalai & F. M. Andrews (Eds.), The quality of life (pp. 7–21). London: Sage.
The World Health Organization Quality of Life assessment (WHOQOL): position paper from the World Health Organization. (1995). Social Science & Medicine, 41(10), 1403–1409.
Worthington, R. W., & Whittaker, T. A. (2006). Using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis in scale development research: A content analysis and recommendations for best practices. The Counseling Psychologist, 34(6), 806–838.
Acknowledgments
The research presented in this paper is part of the Espervie Program (Environment and Health: Risk perception and Quality of life) and is founded by the French Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Fleury-Bahi, G., Marcouyeux, A., Préau, M. et al. Development and Validation of an Environmental Quality of Life Scale: Study of a French Sample. Soc Indic Res 113, 903–913 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-012-0119-4
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-012-0119-4