Translated versions of the English satisfaction with life scale (SWLS) among adult participants: a systematic review

Life satisfaction is the cognitive assessment of an individual's current life circumstances. Since its introduction, the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) has been translated into more than 30 languages. However, there is a limited information on the comprehensive synthesis of the psychometric methods of the translated SWLS versions. This systematic review aims to synthesize published studies on the psychometric methodologies of the translated versions of SWLS in the global population.

This systematic review was guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) reporting guidelines. The investigators utilized the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) checklist for systematic reviews and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) to evaluate the study's evidence. The manuscript was pre-registered with NIHR PROSPERO.

All studies, except one (Quechua), demonstrated adequate internal consistency (α = 0.74 to 0.89) of the translated SWLS, with most studies using Cronbach's α as the sole measure of internal consistency. Few studies explored other forms of reliability (e.g., test-retest). All studies reviewed evaluated various types of construct validity (convergent, discriminant, and measurement invariance) and criterion-related validity (concurrent). Only one study explored content validity.

Future studies should prioritize a standardized psychometric methodology when translating and validating the SWLS in languages and regions where research on subjective well-being is still limited.