Definitions of Quality of Life: What Has Happened and How to Move On

This article reviews the concept and measurement of quality of life (QOL) in spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation. It highlights the evolution of QOL and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) concepts, various definitions and measurement methods, and provides recommendations for clarity and consistency in QOL research. The author emphasizes that the lack of consensus on defining and measuring QOL limits the interpretation of studies. The term “well-being” in the WHO definition of health contributes to the confusion. The Dijkers’s QOL model is influential, but consistent use of the term “quality of life” remains challenging. Researchers should be specific about the concept and operationalization of QOL. Readers should examine the measures used in a study rather than taking the term “quality of life” for granted. Several aspects of QOL are specific to individuals with SCI.

• 1
  The use of the term “well-being” in the WHO definition of health contributes to the conceptual confusion about what constitutes health versus QOL.
• 2
  Dijkers’s QOL model, which distinguishes between utilities, achievements, and subjective evaluations and reactions, has been influential in the field of SCI rehabilitation.
• 3
  Despite various attempts to define QOL, consistent use of the term and categorization of QOL measures remain difficult in the literature.