University of Twente Student Theses
Measuring quality of life : a psychometric evaluation of a new well-being scale for patients with dementia
Klein, F. (2015) Measuring quality of life : a psychometric evaluation of a new well-being scale for patients with dementia.
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| Abstract: | Background- Improving well-being in addition to physical health has become an import goal in the health care system. A new observational well-being scale has been created inspired by previously designed instruments. This study focuses on the psychometric evaluation of this well-being scale for patients with dementia. Methods- The sample consists of Dutch residents (n=168) between the ages of 59 and 99 with a mean age of 85 years (SD=7.3). The first step of this study is to examine the factor structure in order to assess the current scoring process and determine the structure of well-being for patients with dementia. Then Cronbach’s alpha and split-half reliability are calculated in order to evaluate the internal consistency. Results- An exploratory factor analysis provided support for a 4-factor model each consisting of 10 to 23 items. Moderate to strong correlations were found between the factors. Most items correlated strongly with multiple factors. A good internal consistency was found for the total scale (α=.96, r=.95) and as well for the subscales social well-being (α=.94, r=.94), psychological well-being (α=.84, r=.73), emotional well-being (α=.93, r=.90), and cognition (α=.88, r=.81). Conclusion- This well-being scale appears to be a reliable and valid instrument with a high practical value. The factorial structure coincides with the three dimensions of well-being, namely emotional, psychological, and social well-being, whereas the fourth factor’s key characteristic appeared to be cognition. The items regarding cognition should be kept in questionnaire, if it is used for monitoring well-being, because of the high practical value. In order to be used for scientific research it would be preferable to delete the items in cognitive factor and replace some of the items focused on anxiety with items measuring positive individual functioning. This way the scale would align with current developments in positive psychology. This well-being scale could then be used to compare different nursing homes or treatments. The high internal reliability suggests that the scale can be used to monitor changes in well-being in an individual. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 77 psychology |
| Programme: | Psychology MSc (66604) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/68631 |
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