[Factorial structure of WHOQoL-Bref quality of life questionnaire]

The real value of quality of life instruments must be tested in local populations before recommending their widespread use.

To assess the factorial structure of the quality of life questionnaire proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO), WHOQoL-Bref.

The questionnaire was answered by 2016 individuals aged between 20 and 59 years, from diverse public and social organizations of a city in Northern Chile. The confidence and factorial structure of the instrument were evaluated.

The internal consistency of the instrument, according to Cronbach's alpha was 0.89. The adjustment of values to a model with four factors proposed by the WHO was moderate. The root mean square (RMS) and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) values of0.043 and 0.061, indicate a good adjustment of the model.

Although an absolute adjustment for the theoretical four factor model is not supported by these results, the WHOQoL-Bref is able to discriminate the perception of quality of life and the influence of age, gender and disease on this perception.