Assessing health-related quality of life in older adults: EuroQol Five-Dimensional Questionnaire vs the Short Form Health Survey

This study analyses the association between EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire indexes (utility index and visual analogue scale) and the physical and mental components of the Short Form Health Survey, considering the impact of some variables that may influence both questionnaires (i.e., age, BMI, physical fitness and cognitive function). Bivariate and partial correlation analysis between EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire indexes and summary components of the Short Form Health Survey, including the mentioned covariates, were conducted in 58 older adults (71.03±4.32 years). The large to small correlations found between utility index and the physical component (0.647), as well as the utility index and the visual analogue scale (0.441), persisted by adjusting physical condition, cognitive function, BMI and age, while mental components showed no association at all. The utility index and physical component were confirmed to correlate with physical fitness, although moderately (0.294; 0.284). BMI was negatively associated, but only to the utility index (-0.322). These results reinforce the concurrent validity only for the utility index and physical components and highlight the importance of physical fitness in a comprehensive geriatric assessment. The indexes of the Short Form Health Survey seem to provide diverse information regarding those of the EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire in terms of the HRQL construct.