SynthesisQuality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation2025
Systematic review of the factor structure of WHOQOL-bref in adult population.
Synthesis in Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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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.
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.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Acupotomy at spinal acupoints for primary insomnia: an exploration of therapeutic effectiveness.American journal of translational research · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe WHOQOL-bref is a widely used instrument for assessing quality of life in adults, demonstrating robust psychometric properties and cross-cultural validation. While numerous studies support its original four-domain structure, others propose alternative models. This systematic review aims to compile the available evidence on its factor structure in the adult population and provide recommendations for its application.
methodFollowing PRISMA guidelines, the COSMIN’s Risk of Bias Checklist (structural validity module) was used to assess risk of bias. Searches were conducted in PubMed, PsycINFO, and Scopus, including articles in English, Spanish, or Portuguese published between January 2000 and May 2024. Studies were selected if they involved adults, were peer-reviewed, included factor analysis (FA), and reported model fit indices. The analysis considered sample characteristics, type of FA, number of factors, and model fit.
results439 articles were identified, and 36 were included. The year with the most publications was 2018 (14%), and Taiwan was the most represented country (11%). Among the studies, 31% analyzed populations with specific health conditions, and 58% had a female predominance. In 64% of the studies, four factors were consistently identified. Several variable structures (ranging from three to eight factors) were observed, depending on the type of FA used.
conclusionThe original four-factor model of the WHOQOL-bref has been confirmed. However, some studies suggest modifications to its structure depending on contextual, cultural, and clinical factors. Key limitations include a lack of standardization in methodological criteria and inconsistent reporting of fit indices.
Indexed as
Identifiers
41460607What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.