The Chinese quality of life instrument : development of a new health-related quality of life instrument using factor analysis and structural equation modeling

A new Chinese Quality of Life Instrument (ChQOL) based on the principles of diagnosis and practice in Chinese medicine has been developed. This paper describes the development of the ChQOL instrument using factor analysis and structural equation modeling. An initial pilot version of the 78 items instrument was field tested in a sample 273 subjects recruited from different areas in China. The objective of this study was to determine the factor structure and latent constructs of the ChQOL based on factor analysis. A series of confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation models were used to determine the final model of the ChQOL. The results showed that the application of factor analysis and structural equation modeling is an effective method to develop the new health-related quality of life instrument, ChQOL, even though the practice of Chinese medicine is quite different from the practice of conventional western medicine.