Validation of the WHOQOL-Bref: psychometric properties and normative data for the Norwegian general population.

Background: The World Health Organization's Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQOL-Bref) is a frequently used instrument to assess the quality of life in both healthy and ill populations. Inquiries of the psychometric properties of the WHOQOL-Bref report that the validity and reliability is generally satisfactory. However, some studies fail to support a four-factor dimensionality; others report poor reliability of the social and environmental domain; and there may be some challenges of supporting construct validity across age.

The relationship of existential well - being to identity, religious coping, mental and general health among Norwegian aging women.

The aim of this study was to explore the relationship of existential spirituality to identity processing, religious coping and mental and general health among younger and older aged women in Norway. Participant's included 120 women aged 31-91 who took part in a postal survey. Results showed that both accommodative and balancing identity processes were associated with existential well -being among both the younger and older aged.

Living with Chronic Kidney Disease: Illness Perceptions, Symptoms, Coping, and Quality of Life.

The purpose of this study was to explore how illness perceptions, specifically intrusiveness, impact individuals with chronic kidney disease living with dialysis therapy and kidney transplants, and to determine the relationships among illness perceptions, symptoms, coping, and quality of life (QoL). Forty-two individuals on dialysis and with renal transplants completed an online survey. We found strong relationships between illness intrusiveness, symptom scores, and QoL.

Opioids, Pain Management, and Palliative Care in a Norwegian Nursing Home From 2013 to 2018.

In Norway, approximately 50% of older people die in nursing homes (NH). Holistic care and pharmacological management are key factors in quality at the end of life. The purpose of this longitudinal study was to describe the use of opioids in an NH during a 5-year period.

Translation and Adaption of Questionnaires: A Nursing Challenge.

Background: Translation of previously developed questionnaires has often been the choice when addressing research to groups whose language is not English. In the translation of health-related questionnaires, it is highly important to assure congruency between the words and their true meaning in the language to which the questionnaire is translated.

Aim: To describe the semantic problems encountered in translating a standardized questionnaire from English (the Identity and Experiences Scale) to Norwegian according to the World Health Organizations translation protocol.

Symptoms, Coping, and Quality of Life of People with Chronic Kidney Disease.

The purpose of this study was to explore how symptoms affect quality of life (QOL) for people living with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and kidney transplants, and to determine the relationship among various coping styles, symptoms, and QOL. An online survey was conducted; 42 people with CKD or a kidney transplant completed all parts of the survey. We found strong significant relationships between symptoms and QOL ratings.

Attitudes to ageing among older Norwegian adults living in the community.

Attitudes toward ageing have powerful influences and impact older adults' own perception of health, quality of life and utilisation of health and social care services. This study describes attitudes to ageing among 490 Norwegian older adults living in the community who responded to The Attitudes to Ageing Questionnaire. Results showed that in spite of physical changes and psychological losses, the attitudes of older adults support life acceptance with gained wisdom in feeling that there were many pleasant things about growing older and that their identity was not defined by their age.

Identity Processes Among Older Norwegians Living in Urban and Rural Areas.

Guided by the Identity Process Theory, we examined whether 424 Norwegians 60+ years of age would attribute their physical and mental functioning to their health (identity assimilation), to aging itself (identity accommodation), or to both (identity balance). We were also interested in the effect of these attribution styles upon depressive symptoms. Secondary data from the 2004 World Health Organization Quality of Life OLD Group Norwegian Field Study were analyzed using General Linear Model Regression and subsequent Path Analyses.

Exploring the quality of life of depressed and nondepressed, home-dwelling, Norwegian adults.

Aim: This study aims to explore how intimacy, physical and psychological health, loneliness, and attitudes to ageing at a time of loss affect the overall quality of life (QoL) of nondepressed and depressed older adults.

Method: This was a randomised, stratified, cross-sectional study with two subsamples: depressed (n=74; mean: 77.9 years; 65% female) and nondepressed (n=356; mean: 75.

Use of instruments to measure quality of life among healthy and ill adults in community settings.

International interest in quality of life (QoL) has been affected by patients' prolonged survival, the increasingly aging population, the increase in chronic conditions and the increasing costs of health care. This has also led to the development of QoL instruments that meet the psychometric criteria necessary for reliable and valid outcome measures in research, health policy decision-making and, increasingly, in clinical practice. Despite the proliferation of QoL instruments available to inform best practice, clinicians seldom routinely apply them.

Meaning given to spirituality, religiousness and personal beliefs: explored by a sample of a Norwegian population.

Aims And Objectives: The aim of this article is to explore the meanings given to the words 'spirituality', 'religiousness' and 'personal beliefs' by a Norwegian sample of healthy and sick individuals.

Background: Studies show that a high proportion of nurses do not identify the spiritual needs of their patients, even if the nurses are educated to give care for the whole person, including the spiritual dimension.

Design: This study used an exploratory qualitative design.

Quality of life data in older adults: self-assessment vs interview.

Background And Purpose: There are obstacles for older people when reporting quality of life (QoL) in a survey format. The aim of this study was to explore the quality of data obtained on self-assessed QoL among older people with respect to modes of administration.

Method And Results: Approximately half of the QoL items showed significantly higher mean values in the mail sample than in the interview sample.

Cultural frames, qualities of life, and the aging self.

We used the Self-Concept Enhancement Tactician (SCENT) model to explore whether older Norwegians and Canadians would tactically self-enhance on qualities considered significant within their cultures in their self-perceptions of aging. Qualities were measured using the WHOQOL-BREF and WHOQOL-OLD. Self-perceptions of aging were measured by the Attitudes to Aging Questionnaire.

Nurses' and caregivers' definition of spirituality from the Christian perspective: a comparative study between Malta and Norway.

Aim: The aim of this cross-sectional comparative exploratory study was to explore the term spirituality as defined by four groups of nurses and two groups of caregivers from Malta and Norway.

Background: Spirituality is a complex subjective concept which may or may not contain religiosity. Several factors may influence the individual's interpretation with implications to nursing care and nursing management.

Spiritual coping in rehabilitation- a comparative study: part 2.

Spiritual coping, which may or may not contain religiosity, may enhance adaptation of clients with chronic illness. Part 1 of this article (Baldacchino et al, 2013) presented the research methodology of this cross-sectional comparative study, which explored the spiritual coping of clients with chronic illness receiving rehabilitation services in Malta (n=44) (lower limb amputation: n=10, chronic heart disease: n=9, osteoarthritis in an institution: n=10 and in the community: n=15) and Norway (n=16) (post-hip/shoulder surgery: n=5; chronic heart disease: n=5; chronic pain: n=6). Data were collected from seven purposive samples by focus groups.

Spiritual coping in rehabilitation - a comparative study: part 1.

Chronic illness is defined as a long-term disease that challenges a person's physical, psychological and spiritual wellbeing. However, individuals may adapt to their condition by adopting spiritual coping strategies that may or may not include religiosity. Part 1 of this article presents the methodology of this cross-sectional comparative study, which explored the spiritual coping of patients with chronic illness receiving rehabilitation services in Malta (n=44: lower limb amputation n=10; chronic heart disease n=9; osteoarthritis-in an institution n=10 and in the community n=15); and in Norway (n=16: post-hip/shoulder surgery n=5; chronic heart disease n=5; chronic pain n=6).

Translation and focus group testing of the WHOQOL spirituality, religiousness, and personal beliefs module in Norway.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to describe the Norwegian translation of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Spirituality, Religiousness, and Personal Beliefs module.

Design: This is an exploratory study using convenience sampling.

Method: Translation has followed the World Health Organization's standardized protocol.

Quality of life model: predictors of quality of life among sick older adults.

The aim of this study was to explore how depressive symptoms, physical function, health satisfaction, age, and environmental conditions predict quality of life (QoL) in a conceptual model based on the Wilson and Cleary's Model (WCM). A stratified sample by age, gender, and living area was drawn from the Norwegian population of older adults receiving community health care (mean age of 78.6 years, 94.

Comparing the importance of different aspects of quality of life to older adults across diverse cultures.

Background: there is limited research examining the relative importance of aspects of quality of life (QOL) to older adults across cultures.

Objective: to examine the relative importance of 31 internationally agreed areas of QOL to older adults in 22 countries in relation to health status, age and level of economic development.

Design: a survey quota sampling design was used to collect cross-cultural data.

Quality of life among Norwegian older adults: focus group results.

Fundamental to the nursing profession is understanding what issues are important to quality of life (QoL) for older adults. The aim of this study was to explore issues of importance to older adults and to compare findings with Lawton's theoretical QoL conceptualization. Five focus groups were conducted with healthy and hospitalized adults and health professionals.

The importance of facets of quality of life to older adults: an international investigation.

Purpose: To describe the relative importance of 38 facets of quality of life (QOL) to older adults in 22 countries, by gender, age group, and health status.

Methods: A secondary analysis of data was conducted from the WHOQOL-Old pilot study. Questionnaires were distributed by mail or in person.

Important issues to quality of life among norwegian older adults: an exploratory study.

The increasing numbers of older people and higher expectations of a "good life" within societies, has lead to international interest in the enhancement of quality of life (QoL) among older adults. Understanding whether the same aspects of life are equally important to the life quality of subgroups of older people is important in helping health professionals plan social and health care policy and caring strategies. The purpose of this study was to describe the importance given to 38 areas of QoL among Norwegian older adults and to identify differences in importance ratings by age, gender, marital and health status.

Demographic and psychosocial correlates of quality of life in the elderly from a cross-cultural perspective.

We compared the quality of life (QOL) of older adults in a post-communist country (the Czech Republic) with those living in traditional western democracies. The sample comprised 1981 respondents aged 60+ (from 60 to 99). The subjective QOL was measured using the WHOQOL-BREF and the add-on module for older adults, the WHOQOL-OLD.

Reliability and validity of the Norwegian WHOQOL-OLD module.

The aim of this study was to examine the validity and reliability of the Norwegian WHOQOL-OLD six-facet, 24-item module designed for assessing generic quality of life cross-culturally among the elderly. Using quota-stratified sampling defined on the basis of sex, age and geographical representation, 401 respondents were drawn from Statistics Norway and completed postal surveys. An additional 89 elderly completed personal interviews.