Construct Validities of the Quality of Well-Being Scale and the MOS-HIV-34 Health Survey for HIV-infected Patients

Abstract

This research assessed the construct validities of two health-related quality-of-life in struments: the Quality of Well-Being Scale (QWB) and the Medical Outcomes Study 34-item HIV Health Survey (MOS-HIV-34). A sample of 100 adult male, HIV-infected patients, across six HIV disease classifications, was used as subjects. Four convergent validity measures of health-related quality of life were used: CD4 cell counts, beta-2 microglobulin levels, disease classification, and age. All convergent validity measures were significant for the QWB. Forty percent of the convergent validity com parisons with the MOS-HIV-34 were statistically significant. Because the two measures provide different perspectives on health-related quality of life, both instruments appear to be useful in measuring health-related quality of life in this patient population. Key words: HIV; quality of life; quality of well-being scale; construct validity. (Med Decis Making 1997;17:439-446)