Urban Quality of Life: Instrument Reliability and Validity

Abstract

Abstract Quality of Life (QoL) is widely examined in different disciplines, presenting considerable differences in methodology and results among them. The multitude of factors from various literature on what constitutes quality of life make QoL analysis complex. Using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), this research not only provided an empirical basis for the validity and reliability of the QoL instrument developed, but also reduced the complexity of QoL variables and the relationships among them by determining smaller number of constructs that underlie such relationships. The 47-item questionnaire under validation study used a 6-point Likert scale, and was administered to 613 respondents in Quezon City, Philippines. Inter-item correlations, Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure of sampling adequacy, Bartlett's Test of Sphericity, and communalities provided empirical evidence that supports the factorability of the 47-item scale. The reliability of the scale was established using Cronbach Alpha, and results suggest 7 criteria of urban QoL. The urban QoL instrument developed in this study was proven to be reliable and valid, hence, can be further validated in other countries or used in evaluating quality of life in different urban setting in the Philippines. Keywords: urban quality of life; instrument development; factor analysis