Measuring health-related quality of life among school adolescents across Chinese Human Geography Regions: psychometric validation and norm development of the Mandarin Chinese self-reported KID­SCREEN-10 index

and the PROSQoL-JSSS research group

doi:10.1007/s11136-025-04039-1

Measuring health-related quality of life among school adolescents across Chinese Human Geography Regions: psychometric validation and norm development of the Mandarin Chinese self-reported KIDSCREEN-10 index

and the PROSQoL-JSSS research group

School of Education and English

Research output: Journal Publication › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Purpose: The self-reported KIDSCREEN-10 index (KS-10) is widely used to assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in children and adolescents, but psychometric evidence for its Mandarin Chinese version remains limited. This study evaluates its psychometric properties, develops a population-based norm, and establishes a norm-referenced scoring algorithm. Methods: Data were collected from a two-wave cross-sectional survey across the Chinese Human Geography Regions (June 20–July 11, 2022). The sample included 3290 adolescents (ages 10–18; 51.5% female; 75.8% Han ethnic group) in their junior secondary education stage, obtained through convenience sampling (first wave) and multistage, stratified, cluster sampling (second wave). Psychometric properties were evaluated using the Rasch measurement method, and both a population-based norm and a norm-referenced scoring algorithm were developed and established. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed unidimensionality after two modifications. Rasch analysis demonstrated satisfactory psychometric performance, including an appropriate 5-category rating scale and strong goodness-of-fit. Minor local dependence was observed in a few item pairs, indicating slight unidimensionality violations. Both Rasch-generated reliability measures performed well. The person-item map showed acceptable matches and provided insights for further improvements. No substantial uniform differential item functioning was detected across 14 groups. Conclusion: The Mandarin Chinese self-reported KS-10 demonstrates satisfactory psychometric properties and provides a concise measure of adolescent HRQoL. It is a user-friendly instrument suitable for routine school monitoring, large-scale population surveys, and clinical applications. The population-based norm and norm-referenced scoring algorithm support its broader application and promotion, and offer new insights for interpreting HRQoL sum scores.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	3541-3563
Number of pages	23
Journal	Quality of Life Research
Volume	34
Issue number	12
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-025-04039-1
Publication status	Published - Dec 2025

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Free Keywords

Adolescents
Health-related quality of life
Mandarin Chinese
Population-based norm
Psychometric properties
Rasch measurement method

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Access to Document

10.1007/s11136-025-04039-1

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Measuring health-related quality of life among school adolescents across Chinese Human Geography Regions: psychometric validation and norm development of the Mandarin Chinese self-reported KIDSCREEN-10 index'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this

@article{a8822007acf645acb22239219375045f,

title = "Measuring health-related quality of life among school adolescents across Chinese Human Geography Regions: psychometric validation and norm development of the Mandarin Chinese self-reported KIDSCREEN-10 index",

abstract = "Purpose: The self-reported KIDSCREEN-10 index (KS-10) is widely used to assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in children and adolescents, but psychometric evidence for its Mandarin Chinese version remains limited. This study evaluates its psychometric properties, develops a population-based norm, and establishes a norm-referenced scoring algorithm. Methods: Data were collected from a two-wave cross-sectional survey across the Chinese Human Geography Regions (June 20–July 11, 2022). The sample included 3290 adolescents (ages 10–18; 51.5\% female; 75.8\% Han ethnic group) in their junior secondary education stage, obtained through convenience sampling (first wave) and multistage, stratified, cluster sampling (second wave). Psychometric properties were evaluated using the Rasch measurement method, and both a population-based norm and a norm-referenced scoring algorithm were developed and established. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed unidimensionality after two modifications. Rasch analysis demonstrated satisfactory psychometric performance, including an appropriate 5-category rating scale and strong goodness-of-fit. Minor local dependence was observed in a few item pairs, indicating slight unidimensionality violations. Both Rasch-generated reliability measures performed well. The person-item map showed acceptable matches and provided insights for further improvements. No substantial uniform differential item functioning was detected across 14 groups. Conclusion: The Mandarin Chinese self-reported KS-10 demonstrates satisfactory psychometric properties and provides a concise measure of adolescent HRQoL. It is a user-friendly instrument suitable for routine school monitoring, large-scale population surveys, and clinical applications. The population-based norm and norm-referenced scoring algorithm support its broader application and promotion, and offer new insights for interpreting HRQoL sum scores.",

keywords = "Adolescents, Health-related quality of life, Mandarin Chinese, Population-based norm, Psychometric properties, Rasch measurement method",

author = "\{and the PROSQoL-JSSS research group\} and Juan Li and Yuhang Zhu and Zhenliang Qiu and Ricky Jeffrey and Zhuang He and Di Wu and Ranran Li and Gaopei Zhu and Anne Kaman and Michael Erhart and Fuyan Shi and Suzhen Wang and Ulrike Ravens-Sieberer",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.",

year = "2025",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1007/s11136-025-04039-1",

language = "English",

volume = "34",

pages = "3541--3563",

journal = "Quality of Life Research",

issn = "0962-9343",

publisher = "Springer Netherlands",

number = "12",

}

Measuring health-related quality of life among school adolescents across Chinese Human Geography Regions: psychometric validation and norm development of the Mandarin Chinese self-reported KIDSCREEN-10 index. / and the PROSQoL-JSSS research group.
In: Quality of Life Research, Vol. 34, No. 12, 12.2025, p. 3541-3563.

Research output: Journal Publication › Article › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Measuring health-related quality of life among school adolescents across Chinese Human Geography Regions

T2 - psychometric validation and norm development of the Mandarin Chinese self-reported KIDSCREEN-10 index

AU - and the PROSQoL-JSSS research group

AU - Li, Juan

AU - Zhu, Yuhang

AU - Qiu, Zhenliang

AU - Jeffrey, Ricky

AU - He, Zhuang

AU - Wu, Di

AU - Li, Ranran

AU - Zhu, Gaopei

AU - Kaman, Anne

AU - Erhart, Michael

AU - Shi, Fuyan

AU - Wang, Suzhen

AU - Ravens-Sieberer, Ulrike

PY - 2025/12

Y1 - 2025/12

N2 - Purpose: The self-reported KIDSCREEN-10 index (KS-10) is widely used to assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in children and adolescents, but psychometric evidence for its Mandarin Chinese version remains limited. This study evaluates its psychometric properties, develops a population-based norm, and establishes a norm-referenced scoring algorithm. Methods: Data were collected from a two-wave cross-sectional survey across the Chinese Human Geography Regions (June 20–July 11, 2022). The sample included 3290 adolescents (ages 10–18; 51.5% female; 75.8% Han ethnic group) in their junior secondary education stage, obtained through convenience sampling (first wave) and multistage, stratified, cluster sampling (second wave). Psychometric properties were evaluated using the Rasch measurement method, and both a population-based norm and a norm-referenced scoring algorithm were developed and established. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed unidimensionality after two modifications. Rasch analysis demonstrated satisfactory psychometric performance, including an appropriate 5-category rating scale and strong goodness-of-fit. Minor local dependence was observed in a few item pairs, indicating slight unidimensionality violations. Both Rasch-generated reliability measures performed well. The person-item map showed acceptable matches and provided insights for further improvements. No substantial uniform differential item functioning was detected across 14 groups. Conclusion: The Mandarin Chinese self-reported KS-10 demonstrates satisfactory psychometric properties and provides a concise measure of adolescent HRQoL. It is a user-friendly instrument suitable for routine school monitoring, large-scale population surveys, and clinical applications. The population-based norm and norm-referenced scoring algorithm support its broader application and promotion, and offer new insights for interpreting HRQoL sum scores.

AB - Purpose: The self-reported KIDSCREEN-10 index (KS-10) is widely used to assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in children and adolescents, but psychometric evidence for its Mandarin Chinese version remains limited. This study evaluates its psychometric properties, develops a population-based norm, and establishes a norm-referenced scoring algorithm. Methods: Data were collected from a two-wave cross-sectional survey across the Chinese Human Geography Regions (June 20–July 11, 2022). The sample included 3290 adolescents (ages 10–18; 51.5% female; 75.8% Han ethnic group) in their junior secondary education stage, obtained through convenience sampling (first wave) and multistage, stratified, cluster sampling (second wave). Psychometric properties were evaluated using the Rasch measurement method, and both a population-based norm and a norm-referenced scoring algorithm were developed and established. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed unidimensionality after two modifications. Rasch analysis demonstrated satisfactory psychometric performance, including an appropriate 5-category rating scale and strong goodness-of-fit. Minor local dependence was observed in a few item pairs, indicating slight unidimensionality violations. Both Rasch-generated reliability measures performed well. The person-item map showed acceptable matches and provided insights for further improvements. No substantial uniform differential item functioning was detected across 14 groups. Conclusion: The Mandarin Chinese self-reported KS-10 demonstrates satisfactory psychometric properties and provides a concise measure of adolescent HRQoL. It is a user-friendly instrument suitable for routine school monitoring, large-scale population surveys, and clinical applications. The population-based norm and norm-referenced scoring algorithm support its broader application and promotion, and offer new insights for interpreting HRQoL sum scores.

KW - Adolescents

KW - Health-related quality of life

KW - Mandarin Chinese

KW - Population-based norm

KW - Psychometric properties

KW - Rasch measurement method

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105018467649

U2 - 10.1007/s11136-025-04039-1

DO - 10.1007/s11136-025-04039-1

M3 - Article

C2 - 40965776

AN - SCOPUS:105018467649

SN - 0962-9343

VL - 34

SP - 3541

EP - 3563

JO - Quality of Life Research

JF - Quality of Life Research

IS - 12

ER -