Ardonit Xhemajli¹ , Mitrichka Dzambazovska Stardelova² , Slavica Novacevska² , Visar Ganiu³

: https://doi.org/10.46733/PESH2514203xh                        

Abstract

Designed to assess health-related quality of life among young populations, the Albanian version of the KIDSCREEN-27 ensures dependable evaluations in culturally diverse environments. The aim of the study was to examine the suitability of the instrument in evaluating various dimensions of health-related quality of life. The research included 143 eleven-year-old students from public primary schools in Gjilan, Republic of Kosovo.The study used advanced and robust statistical methods, such as Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (EFA and CFA) to assess the structure of the construct, along with measuring internal consistency through Cronbach’s coefficient, while the use of T-scores enabled cross-cultural comparisons, relying on appropriate statistical tools such as SPSS and Jamovi for psychometric assessment. Statistical analysis showed that the six-factor adaptation of the KIDSCREEN-27 provides a better fit for the data from 11-year-old children in Kosovo compared to the original five-factor framework. This updated model exhibited strong fit indicators (CFI = 0.98; RMSEA = 0.075) alongside a more distinct conceptual organization. Additionally, the internal reliability was satisfactory (α = 0.71–0.82), with minimal presence of ceiling or floor effects.Factor loadings were higher and more stable in the six-factor model. Several significant gender differences were identified, with boys scoring higher in certain dimensions. Overall, the instrument proves to be suitable and valid for use within the cultural and social context Republik of Kosovo.
Keywords:
Quality of Life; Gender Differences; Cultural and Social Context; KIDSCREEN-27; Children; Kosovo

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