The Quality of Life Research Unit has been developing instruments for research and evaluation since 1991. In partnership with the Centre for Health Promotion, Department of Public Health Sciences, and the Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Toronto, the unit carries out quality of life research that relates to communities, families, and individuals from a variety of population groups.

Quality of Life of Adolescents

In cooperation with the School of Nursing, Laurentian University, Sudbury, an instrument to assess quality of life of adolescents was developed and validated.

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The Childrens' Quality of Life Project

Conducted from 2002 to early 2005, the Children's Quality of Life Project was focused on the development of a conceptual approach to quality of life for children with long term disabilities and the development and testing of the Quality of Life Measure for Children with Long Term Disabilities (parents' perspective).

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The Family Quality of Life Project

Conducted in 1997 and 1998, the project focused on the quality of life experienced by families who have an adult member with a developmental disability. The study took the form of personal interviews with families in their homes and included both urban and rural families living in Ontario.

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Community Quality of Life

with the Lawrence Heights and South Riverdale Community Health Centres. A manual for carrying out a community quality of life project was developed.

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Quality of Life for People with Developmental Disabilities

A four year longitudinal study funded by the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services. Completed in March, 1999.

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Quality of Life for Persons with Physical and Sensory Disabilities

with the Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Toronto.

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Quality of Life of Seniors

A cooperative project with the North York Public Health Department to assess the quality of life of seniors living in the community.

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Other Projects

Frailty

A joint project of the Centre for Health Promotion and the former North York Public Health Department. A conceptualization and definition of frailty was developed and published. A frailty assessment instrument was also developed: Older Adult Health Status and Activities Profile.

Results of the study were published in:

Frailty: A Public Health Perspective
Dennis Raphael, Maureen Cava, Ivan Brown, Rebecca Renwick, Kit Heathcote, Nancy Weir, Karen Wright, Lori Kirwan

Frailty: Constructing a common meaning, definition, and conceptual framework
Ivan Brown, Rebecca Renwick, Dennis Raphael

These papers and the profile are available from the Publications page

Improving the Quality of Life of Urban Canadian Seniors

A national participatory project (1999-2001) involving seniors and seniors' organizations in eight cities. 

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