World Health Organization Quality of Life – BREF (WHOQOL-BREF)
The WHOQOL-BREF is a 26-item self-report instrument developed by the World Health Organization to assess overall quality of life and subjective wellbeing across four key domains: physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and environment. It is used internationally in clinical, public health, and research settings. The WHOQOL-BREF is an assessment tool that measures quality of life across various domains. It is designed for individuals seeking to evaluate their well-being and is useful for identifying areas for improvement.
About the WHOQOL-BREF
The WHOQOL-BREF is a short-form version of the original 100-item WHOQOL instrument. It was developed through a multinational field study and reflects cross-cultural understandings of quality of life. It captures an individual’s perceived quality of life over the previous two weeks in relation to health, autonomy, social connection, and access to resources.
It is suitable for use in medical, mental health, rehabilitation, and community settings and is available in over 20 languages.
Psychometric Properties
The WHOQOL-BREF has shown excellent internal consistency (domain α = 0.68–0.82), test-retest reliability, and cross-cultural validity. Domain scores correlate strongly with global health and wellbeing ratings.
- Validated in over 20 countries
- Factor structure supports 4 domains:
- Physical Health – energy, sleep, mobility, pain, daily activities
- Psychological Health – self-esteem, body image, cognition, mood
- Social Relationships – personal relationships, social support, intimacy
- Environment – safety, home, finances, health care access, leisure
Source: WHOQOL Group, 1998
The Scale
The 26 items are scored on a 5-point Likert scale (e.g., “Not at all” to “Completely”). Each domain is scored and transformed onto a 0–100 scale, with higher scores indicating better perceived quality of life.
Example item: “How satisfied are you with your ability to perform daily living activities?”
Two additional items provide global assessments of overall quality of life and general health.
Score Range
Each domain yields a separate 0–100 score:
- 0–39: Low perceived quality of life
- 40–69: Moderate
- 70–100: High
There is no single cutoff; results should be interpreted in context, with attention to trends over time and comparisons across domains.
References
Related Assessments
Explore complementary clinical tools and screeners