Psychometric validation of the WHO-5 and WHO-4 well-being index scales for assessing psychological well-being and detecting depression in Japanese school-aged children: a community-based study.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

The 5-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5) is widely used to assess psychological well-being, but its psychometric properties in younger populations, particularly in non-Western settings, remain underexplored. This study aimed to assess the validity and reliability of the Japanese version of the WHO-5 (WHO-5-J) and a culturally adapted four-item version (WHO-4-J), which excludes a culturally sensitive item ("I have felt cheerful and in good spirits") and uses a simplified four-point Likert scale to minimize cognitive burden among Japanese school-aged children.

Methods

Data were collected from a large community-based sample of 6,983 students aged 10-15 years (Grades 4-9) in Hirosaki City, Japan. We evaluated the factorial validity and internal

SUBMITTER: Adachi M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12727617 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature