A Psychometric Evaluation of a Korean Version of the Quality of Life in Late-Stage Dementia Scale

Purpose: This study was conducted to translate and validate a Korean version of the Quality of Life in Late-Stage Dementia (QUALID-K) scale. Methods: A cross-sectional design was applied to culturally adapt and validate the scale. A total of 197 participants from two long-term care hospitals in Korea were recruited. The psychometric properties of the QUALID-K scale, including dimensionality of subscales, concurrent, discriminant, and convergence validity, test-retest reliability, inter-rater reliability, and internal consistency were evaluated. Results: The QUALID-K scale’s dimensionality differed from the original one-factor structure, and a three-factor model better fit the data. The validity analysis showed a significant association of the QUALID-K with cognitive function, activities of daily living, depressive symptoms, and pain. Test-retest and inter-rater analysis confirmed the measurement’s stability. Conclusion: The QUALID-K scale appears to be a reliable and valid measurement to assess the quality of life for those with severe dementia in the Korean population.