Development and Validation of an Arabic Version of the World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5)

Abstract

The World Health Organization-Five Well-being Index (WHO-5) is a well-established measure of subjective well-being that has been adapted to and validated in various languages and cultures. This study was set out to psychometrically evaluate an Arabic version of this measure (WHO5-A). A convenience sample of 190 Saudis (59.5% women), with a mean age of 28.97 and a standard deviation of 8.69, were recruited and completed the study measures online. Data were collected and analyzed using correlational and cross-sectional designs. A confirmatory factor analysis CFA revealed a unidimensional latent structure for the WHO5-A, consistent with previous literature. The measure was found to be highly reliable (α = 0.91) and internally homogeneous and associated with convergent and divergent constructs, as hypothesized. Individuals with self-report potential psychiatric issues exhibited significantly lower scores compared to self-reported healthy subjects, which appeared to be due to gender and depression levels. The WHO5-A score was not correlated with age or social desirability bias, whereas significant gender differences were found. In general, findings provided encouraging, although provisional, support for the psychometric suitability of the WHO5-A as a measure of subjective well-being in Saudis.