Validity of the Quality of Well-Being Scale for persons with human immunodeficiency virus infection. HNRC Group. HIV Neurobehavioral Research Center

Psychosom Med. 1995 Mar-Apr;57(2):138-47. doi: 10.1097/00006842-199503000-00006.

Abstract

To evaluate the validity of the Quality of Well-Being Scale (QWB) for studies of patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease, 514 men were studied who were divided among four categories: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Group A (N = 272), CDC-B (N = 81), CDC-C (N = 47), and uninfected male controls (N = 114). The QWB and a variety of medical, neuropsychological, and biochemical measures were administered to all participants. When QWB scores were broken down by HIV group, the CDC-C group was significantly lower (.614) than the CDC-B (.679), CDC-A (.754), or control group (.801). The difference between Groups CDC-C and CDC-A was about .14 units of well-being, which suggests that individuals lose 1/7 equivalents of 1 well year of life for each year they are in Group CDC-C in comparison to the asymptomatic group (Group CDC-A). In comparison to the controls, this would equal a 1-year of life loss for each seven infected individuals. The QWB was shown to be significantly associated with CD4+ lymphocytes (p < .001), clinician ratings of neuropsychological impairment (p < .04), neurologists ratings of dysfunction (p < .001), and all subscales of the Profile of Mood States. Baseline QWB scores were significant prospective predictors of death over a median follow-up time of 30 months. Multivariate models demonstrated high covariation between predictors of QWB. It was concluded that the QWB is a significant correlate of biological, neuropsychological, neurological, psychiatric, and mortality outcomes for male HIV-infected patients.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • AIDS Dementia Complex / diagnosis
  • AIDS Dementia Complex / mortality
  • AIDS Dementia Complex / psychology
  • Adult
  • CD4 Lymphocyte Count
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • HIV Infections / classification
  • HIV Infections / mortality
  • HIV Infections / psychology*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neurologic Examination
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Personality Inventory / statistics & numerical data*
  • Prospective Studies
  • Psychometrics
  • Quality of Life*
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Sick Role*
  • Survival Analysis