Construction of Health-related Quality of Life Model in Acquired People with Physical Disabilities

Kim, Kye Ha

Abstract

PURPOSE: This study was designed to construct a structural model for explaining model health-related quality of life in acquired people with physical disabilities. METHOD: The hypothetical model of this study was consisted of 6 latent variables and 14 observed variables. Exogenous variables included in this model were physical status and economical level. Endogenous variables were social attitudes, family function, self-esteem, and health-related quality of life. Data were collected from 226 acquired people with physical disabilities residing in Seoul and Kyunggi-do from January to February, 2005. The collected data were analyzed using SAS 8.2 version and LISREL 8.32 version program.
RESULTS
The results of the fitness test of the modified model were follow as; chi-square=67.479 (df=50, p=.05), GFI= .959, AGFI=.914, SRMR=.049, NFI=.961, NNFI=.979, CN=249.244. Health-related quality of life was influenced directly by physical status, economic level, and social attitudes and accounted for 88.8% of the variance by these factors.
CONCLUSION
These results suggest that physical status is the most significant effect on health-related quality of life, and social attitudes and economic level are important factors having influences on health- related quality of life. Therefore improving physical status and economic level, and modifying negative attitudes are necessary to increase health-related quality of life of acquired people with acquired physical disabilities.