The Standardization of the Ge riatric Quality of Life s cale-Dementia(GQOL-D)

Lee, Hyoung Suk; Kim, Ji Hae; Ko, Hye Jung; Ku, Hyoung Mo; Kwon, Eui Jung; Shin, Ji Young; Ahn, In Sook; Chung, Sung Ho; Kim, Doh Kwan

Abstract

Objectives
: We developed the instrument to assess the quality of life(QOL) for demented patients, 'Geriatric Quality of Life-Dementia(GQOL-D)'. The purpose of this study was to standardize the GQOL-D and to introduce administration results in Korean demented patients.
METHODS
The normal subjects were 340 elderly people, aged over 55 years old, who were physically and cognitively normal. And the patient group was consisted of 69 demented patients.
RESULTS
Both in normal group and in patient group, the internal consistency, Cronbach's = 0.87, 0.90, respectively, and item-total correlation was acceptable. And the test-retest reliability revealed the stability across time by r=0.86, 0.77, respectively. Criterion validity was found to be a high correlation between each itemand overall QOL' item, and adequate correlations between the GQOL-D and scales assessing cognition, psychological wellbeing, behavior and activities of daily living convinced convergent validity. In the result of factor analysis, 2 factors with a variance percentage of 37.7% were extracted. The mean score and standard deviation of items of the GQOL-D for two groups and differences in items such as memory, recreation/leisure, self esteem, general health, and mobility between groups were presented.
CONCLUSION
It was confirmed that there is no difficulty for old people to carry out the GQOL-D. As it was suggested that there is enough room for intervening in dementia patients' emotional and behavioral difficulties, the GQOL-D will be useful in research and clinical practice for the patients with dementia.