Measuring Life Satisfaction in Children and Adolescents - Psychometric Properties of the "Questions on Life Satisfaction" FLZM (KJ)

Objectives: Measuring life satisfaction in children is becoming more and more important in clinical practice. This is the first study to evaluate the psychometric properties of the "Questions on Life Satisfaction for Children and Adolescents" FLZ(M) (KJ) based on a student sample. Methods: 1 312 German students (M = 13.7 years, SD = 1.4) filled in the FLZ(M) (KJ). Item characteristics, reliability, convergent and discriminant validity were assessed. Age-and gender-specific reference data were reported. Results: Items were well accepted by the students. Selectivity and internal consistency of the two modules were acceptable, with alpha scores of alpha = 0.70 and 0.75. Associations with the KID-SCREEN-10 Index support the convergent validity of the instrument. The FLZ(M) (KJ) differentiated well between children with and without chronic conditions. Conclusions: The FLZ(M) (KJ) are reliable and sufficiently valid, with psychometric properties comparable to the adult version of the instrument. The instrument is a useful tool in measuring life satisfaction in children and adolescents.