IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/soinre/v170y2023i3d10.1007_s11205-023-03227-1.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Quality of Life and its Predictors among Persons with Visual Disabilities in Sri Lanka: Development of a New Measure

Author

Listed:
  • Vandhana Dunuwila

    (SLIIT Business School, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology)

  • Sumudu Perera

    (University of Sri Jayewardenepura)

  • Theekshana Suraweera

    (SLIIT Business School, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology)

  • Janaka Fernando

    (University of Sri Jayewardenepura)

Abstract

Despite being the most prevalent functional disability in the world, there is a notable absence of Quality of Life (QoL) assessment tools for persons with visual disabilities in developing nations. As QoL is a subjective notion that varies considerably among distinct communities, having a universal tool for its assessment may neglect concerns pertinent to specific groups. Nevertheless, for QoL to be improved it should be measured first. Existing instruments cannot be employed since most of them are tailored for western populations where the social and cultural contexts differ significantly. Hence, this study intends to develop and validate a comprehensive instrument to assess the QoL of persons with visual disabilities, in connection to the socioeconomic norms and cultural aspects common in low and middle-income nations, by taking Sri Lanka as a case. The measure is created using a multi-step procedure that includes content development, content validation, pilot testing, and psychometric evaluation. This resulted in a 14-item instrument developed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, which reveals that the QoL of a person with visual disability in Sri Lanka is primarily determined by their level of inclusion, access to services, opportunities for growth, mindset, and life stability. The novel measure demonstrates acceptable fit with adequate levels of internal consistency, convergent validity, and discriminant validity, proving it to be a reliable and valid tool for assessing the QoL of persons with visual disabilities in Sri Lanka and similar economies.

Suggested Citation

  • Vandhana Dunuwila & Sumudu Perera & Theekshana Suraweera & Janaka Fernando, 2023. "Quality of Life and its Predictors among Persons with Visual Disabilities in Sri Lanka: Development of a New Measure," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 170(3), pages 911-931, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:170:y:2023:i:3:d:10.1007_s11205-023-03227-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-023-03227-1
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11205-023-03227-1
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11205-023-03227-1?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. M. Joseph Sirgy & Alex C. Michalos & Abbott L. Ferriss & Richard A. Easterlin & Donald Patrick & William Pavot, 2006. "The Quality-of-Life (QOL) Research Movement: Past, Present, and Future," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 76(3), pages 343-466, May.
    2. M. Sirgy & Alex Michalos & Abbott Ferriss & Richard Easterlin & Donald Patrick & William Pavot, 2006. "The Qualityity-of-Life (QOL) Research Movement: Past, Present, and Future," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 76(3), pages 343-466, May.
    3. Robyn Lewis Brown & Anne E. Barrett, 2011. "Visual Impairment and Quality of Life Among Older Adults: An Examination of Explanations for the Relationship," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 66(3), pages 364-373.
    4. Kin Wai Michael Siu & Jia Xin Xiao & Yi Lin Wong, 2021. "Quality Open Space Experiences for the Visually Impaired," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 16(1), pages 183-199, February.
    5. Haradhan Kumar MOHAJAN, 2017. "Two Criteria For Good Measurements In Research: Validity And Reliability," Annals of Spiru Haret University, Economic Series, Universitatea Spiru Haret, vol. 17(4), pages 59-82.
    6. Ann Bowling & Zahava Gabriel, 2004. "An Integrational Model of Quality of Life in Older Age. Results from the ESRC/MRC HSRC Quality of Life Survey in Britain," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 69(1), pages 1-36, October.
    7. Nele Van Hecke & Claudia Claes & Wouter Vanderplasschen & Jessica De Maeyer & Nico De Witte & Stijn Vandevelde, 2018. "Conceptualisation and Measurement of Quality of Life Based on Schalock and Verdugo’s Model: A Cross-Disciplinary Review of the Literature," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 137(1), pages 335-351, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Fatih Terzi & Handan Türkoğlu & Fulin Bölen & Perver Baran & Tayfun Salihoğlu, 2015. "Residents’ Perception of Cultural Activities as Quality of Life in Istanbul," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 122(1), pages 211-234, May.
    2. Baruce C. Rudy, 2014. "The Wal-Mart Effect? Exploring the Social Costs of Explosive Organizational Growth," Working Papers 0191mgmt, College of Business, University of Texas at San Antonio.
    3. Francesco Sarracino & Kelsey J. O’Connor, 2023. "Neo-humanism and COVID-19: Opportunities for a socially and environmentally sustainable world," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 18(1), pages 9-41, February.
    4. Yalcin Yildirim & Diane Jones Allen & Amy Albright, 2019. "The Relationship between Sound and Amenities of Transit-Oriented Developments," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-19, July.
    5. Oswald, Andrew J., 2008. "On the curvature of the reporting function from objective reality to subjective feelings," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 100(3), pages 369-372, September.
    6. Craig A. Talmage & Chad Frederick, 2019. "Quality of Life, Multimodality, and the Demise of the Autocentric Metropolis: A Multivariate Analysis of 148 Mid-Size U.S. Cities," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 141(1), pages 365-390, January.
    7. Javier Martinez, 2019. "Mapping Dynamic Indicators of Quality of Life: a Case in Rosario, Argentina," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 14(3), pages 777-798, July.
    8. Po-Keung Ip, 2009. "Developing a Concept of Workplace Well-Being for Greater China," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 91(1), pages 59-77, March.
    9. Kita, Hideyuki & Komoda, Satoshi & Ozaki, Rizumu, 2024. "A quantified planning method of local public transport services for expanding residents’ activity opportunities," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 284-296.
    10. Ghasem Javadi & Mohammad Taleai, 2020. "Integration of User Generated Geo-contents and Official Data to Assess Quality of Life in Intra-national Level," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 152(1), pages 205-235, November.
    11. Ariel Rodríguez & Pavlína Látková & Ya-Yen Sun, 2008. "The relationship between leisure and life satisfaction: application of activity and need theory," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 86(1), pages 163-175, March.
    12. Luc Ootegem & Elsy Verhofstadt, 2012. "Using Capabilities as an Alternative Indicator for Well-being," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 106(1), pages 133-152, March.
    13. Sam Bufe & Stephen Roll & Olga Kondratjeva & Stephanie Skees & Michal Grinstein-Weiss, 2022. "Financial Shocks and Financial Well-Being: What Builds Resiliency in Lower-Income Households?," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 161(1), pages 379-407, May.
    14. Lee, Richard J. & Sener, Ipek N., 2016. "Transportation planning and quality of life: Where do they intersect?," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 146-155.
    15. D'Attoma, Ida & Ieva, Marco, 2024. "A new composite index to assess environmental consciousness using survey data and big data: Empirical evidence from European consumers," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    16. Jing Xiao & Haifeng Li, 2011. "Sustainable Consumption and Life Satisfaction," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 104(2), pages 323-329, November.
    17. Ming-Chang Tsai & Heng-Hao Chang & Wan-chi Chen, 2012. "Globally Happy: Individual Globalization, Expanded Capacities, and Subjective Wellbeing," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 108(3), pages 509-524, September.
    18. Evren Agyar, 2014. "Contribution of Perceived Freedom and Leisure Satisfaction to Life Satisfaction in a Sample of Turkish Women," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 116(1), pages 1-15, March.
    19. Loren Toussaint & Philip Friedman, 2009. "Forgiveness, Gratitude, and Well-Being: The Mediating Role of Affect and Beliefs," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 10(6), pages 635-654, December.
    20. Laura Schräpler & Jörg-Peter Schräpler & Gert G. Wagner, 2019. "Wie (in)stabil ist die Lebenszufriedenheit? Eine Sequenzanalyse mit Daten des Sozio-oekonomischen Panels (SOEP)," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 1045, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:170:y:2023:i:3:d:10.1007_s11205-023-03227-1. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.