Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32605649›Full record

SynthesisHealth and quality of life outcomes2020

Quality of life assessment instruments for adults: a systematic review of population-based studies.

Nila Patrícia Freire Pequeno, Natália Louise de Araújo Cabral, Dirce Maria Marchioni, Severina Carla Vieira Cunha Lima, Clélia de Oliveira Lyra

Open access · goldAbstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Health and quality of life outcomes, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 146 papers, 23 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
146citing papers in PubMed, 23 pooled it
38.1field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

146 citing papers in PubMed, 23 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 241 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Systematic review of the psychometric properties of quality-of-life outcome measures used with adult inpatient psychiatric populations.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2026
    Pooled it
  3. A Meta-analysis of Traditional Chinese Medicine constitution distribution in people with functional constipation.Journal of traditional Chinese medicine = Chung i tsa chih ying wen pan · 2026
    Pooled it
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  5. Monitoring and evaluation instruments of individual health in community settings: a scoping review.Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique · 2026
    Pooled it
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  9. Corticosteroids for treatment of leptospirosis.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2025
    Pooled it
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  11. Health-related quality of life due to malaria: a systematic review.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2025
    Pooled it
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  14. Impact of rehabilitation with dental implants on the quality of life of patients undergoing maxillofacial reconstruction: a systematic review.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2025
    Pooled it
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  16. Antibiotics for treatment of leptospirosis.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2024
    Pooled it
  17. Antibiotic prophylaxis for leptospirosis.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2024
    Pooled it
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  20. Pooled it

86 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Nila Patrícia Freire PequenoPostgraduate Program in Public Health at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Avenida Senador Salgado Filho, 1787, Lagoa Nova, Natal, RN, Brazil. nilapfp@hotmail.com.
Natália Louise de Araújo CabralPostgraduate Program in Public Health at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Avenida Senador Salgado Filho, 1787, Lagoa Nova, Natal, RN, Brazil.
Dirce Maria MarchioniDepartment of Nutrition of the School of Public Health at the University of São Paulo, Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 715, Cerqueira César, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Severina Carla Vieira Cunha LimaDepartment of Nutrition at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Avenida Senador Salgado Filho, 3000, Lagoa Nova, Natal, RN, CEP 59078-970, Brazil.
Clélia de Oliveira LyraDepartment of Nutrition at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Avenida Senador Salgado Filho, 3000, Lagoa Nova, Natal, RN, CEP 59078-970, Brazil.
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte · BRUniversidade de São Paulo · BR

Funding

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior Finance Code 001Postgraduate Program in Public Health at Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte 23077.014305/2019-29
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAgainst a backdrop of population aging and improving survival rates for chronic noncommunicable diseases (CNCD), researchers are placing growing emphasis on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The aim of this study was to identify the QoL assessment instruments used in population-based studies with adults conducted around the world.

methodsA systematic review of original research published in all languages between 2008 and 2018 was conducted. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses were excluded.

resultsSixty-three articles (38.1% conducted in the Americas) fitted the eligibility criteria. Based on the AHRQ checklist for cross-sectional studies and the Newcastle-Ottawa scale for cohort studies, methodological quality was shown to be fair in the majority of studies (55.6%) and good in 44.4%. The country with the highest number of publications was Brazil (20.6%). Twelve types of generic instruments and 11 specific instruments were identified. The generic instrument SF-36 was the most frequently used measure (33.3% of studies). In-home interviewing was exclusively used by 47.6% of the studies, while 39 studies (61.9%) reported the use of self-administered questionnaires. Over two-thirds of the studies (34.9%) used questionnaires to investigate the association between chronic diseases and/or associated factors.

conclusionsIt was concluded that the wide range of instruments and modes of questionnaire administration used by the studies may hinder comparisons between population groups with the same characteristics or needs. There is a lack of research on QoL and the factors affecting productive capacity. Studies of QoL in older persons should focus not only on the effects of disease and treatment, but also on the determinants of active aging and actions designed to promote it. Further research is recommended to determine which QoL instruments are best suited for population-based studies.

Indexed as

Quality of LifeAdultAgedAged, 80 and overCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMalePsychometricsSurveys and QuestionnairesHealth-related quality of lifePopulation surveysQuality of lifeSystematic review

Identifiers

PMID32605649
PMCPMC7329518
OpenAlexW3039908902

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.