Work-Related Quality of Life Scale (WRQoL-2): Differential Item Functioning Analysis

Pedro Afonso Cortez; Heila Magali da Silva Veiga; Helenides  Mendonça; Elaine  Rabelo Neiva; Darren Van Laar

doi:10.1590/1982-4327e3628

##article.authors##

Pedro Afonso Cortez Federal University of Uberlândia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0107-2033
- Conceptualization
- Data Curation
- Formal Analysis
- Funding Acquisition
- Investigation
- Methodology
- Project Administration
- Resources
- Software
- Supervision
- Validation
- Visualization
- Writing – Original Draft Preparation
- Writing – Review & Editing
Heila Magali da Silva Veiga Federal University of Uberlândia
- Conceptualization
- Data Curation
- Formal Analysis
- Funding Acquisition
- Investigation
- Methodology
- Project Administration
- Resources
- Software
- Supervision
- Validation
- Visualization
- Writing – Original Draft Preparation
- Writing – Review & Editing
Helenides Mendonça Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Goiás https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3990-5432
- Conceptualization
- Data Curation
- Formal Analysis
- Funding Acquisition
- Investigation
- Methodology
- Project Administration
- Resources
- Software
- Supervision
- Validation
- Visualization
- Writing – Original Draft Preparation
- Writing – Review & Editing
Elaine Rabelo Neiva University of Brasília
- Conceptualization
- Data Curation
- Formal Analysis
- Funding Acquisition
- Investigation
- Methodology
- Project Administration
- Resources
- Software
- Supervision
- Validation
- Visualization
- Writing – Original Draft Preparation
- Writing – Review & Editing
Darren Van Laar University of Portsmouth https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4424-0124
- Conceptualization
- Data Curation
- Formal Analysis
- Funding Acquisition
- Investigation
- Methodology
- Project Administration
- Resources
- Software
- Supervision
- Validation
- Visualization
- Writing – Original Draft Preparation
- Writing – Review & Editing

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1590/1982-4327e3628

Keywords:

social welfare, mental health, behavior rating scale, self-testing, psychometrics

Abstract

This study examined reliability and validity evidence for the Work-Related Quality of Life Scale (WRQoL-2) in Brazil using Item Response Theory (IRT). The sample comprised 209 adults (168 with and 41 without a mental health diagnosis) to assess Differential Item Functioning (DIF). Person reliability was .930. Although the likelihood ratio test favoured the Partial Credit Model (PCM), AIC, BIC, and CAIC favoured the more parsimonious Rating Scale Model (RSM). Five items showed elevated infit/outfit values, and 13 of 31 items exhibited disordered thresholds. Items 9 and 10 showed significant DIF after Holm adjustment (p = .036). Given the small non-diagnosed group, lack of DIF in other items does not prove absence of bias. In conclusion, these two items require revision prior to subgroup comparisons.