Personal Lifestyle Questionnaire (PLQ)

Abstract

The Personal Lifestyle Questionnaire (PLQ) is a standardized, self-report instrument designed to measure an individual’s engagement in positive health practices and behaviors. Developed initially by Brown, Muhlenkamp, Fox, and Osborn in 1983, the PLQ assesses various dimensions crucial to health promotion, including physical activity, nutrition, safety, stress management, and preventative self-care. It utilizes a short, easily administered format, making it a valuable tool in nursing research and studies focused on lifestyle interventions. The scale has undergone subsequent psychometric evaluation to ensure its suitability for diverse populations, particularly adolescents.

Keywords

Personal Lifestyle Questionnaire, PLQ, Health Behavior, Health Practices, Lifestyle Assessment, Nursing Research, Health Promotion, Self-Care, Adolescent Health.

Authors

Brown, N., Muhlenkamp, A., Fox, L., Osborn, M. (Original Development, 1983); Mahon, N. E., Yarcheski, A., Yarcheski, T. J. (Psychometric Evaluation for Adolescents, 2002).

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Purpose

The primary purpose of the PLQ is to provide a comprehensive, quantitative measure of an individual’s habitual health-related activities. It serves to identify the frequency of behaviors that are either beneficial (e.g., exercise, regular check-ups) or detrimental (e.g., smoking, excessive alcohol use) to long-term health. By quantifying these practices, the instrument facilitates research into the relationships between psychological factors (such as social support or health beliefs) and tangible health outcomes.

The scale is particularly useful in clinical and academic settings for assessing baseline lifestyle characteristics, evaluating the effectiveness of health education programs, and understanding mediators of positive health practices across different developmental stages, notably in late adolescence.

Construct

The PLQ measures the overarching construct of Health Promotion Activity or Positive Health Practices. This construct reflects the degree to which an individual actively engages in behaviors that maintain or enhance physical and psychological well-being, rather than merely avoiding illness. The items within the questionnaire implicitly cover several sub-domains of health behavior, including:

• Nutrition: Dietary balance and moderation (items related to food groups, salt, caffeine).
• Physical Activity: Structured exercise and daily physical movement.
• Safety and Prevention: Risk reduction (seatbelts, driving habits, avoiding smoking) and preventative medical/dental screenings.
• Stress Management and Social Support: Relaxation, communication of concerns, and interpersonal connection.

Validity

The validity of the PLQ has been supported through its consistent use in academic literature, particularly within nursing and public health fields. The items demonstrate strong content validity, covering a broad range of established preventative health behaviors recognized as essential for overall well-being. Studies, such as the 2002 psychometric evaluation by Mahon and colleagues, confirmed the empirical structure of the scale when adapted for younger populations, demonstrating its appropriateness for assessing health practices in adolescents.

Reliability

The PLQ has demonstrated acceptable to high levels of internal consistency (reliability) across various studies. The 2002 study focusing on the adolescent version provided robust evidence for its internal consistency, suggesting that the items reliably cohere to measure the latent construct of positive lifestyle practices. This high consistency confirms the scale’s ability to yield stable and dependable measurement results.

Factor Analysis

While the PLQ is frequently utilized to produce a single, summated score representing overall health practices, factor analytic studies have explored its underlying dimensional structure. These analyses typically support a multi-factor model, suggesting that the scale is composed of distinct yet correlated subscales corresponding to specific types of health behaviors (e.g., Physical Activity, Responsible Consumption, Preventative Screening). This factor structure allows researchers to analyze specific behavioral components independently, offering a more nuanced understanding of an individual’s lifestyle profile.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire, Psychological/Health Screening Scale.

Format: 24 items rated on a 4-point Likert scale, where 1 = Never, 2 = Occasionally, 3 = Frequently, and 4 = Almost Always. Reverse scoring is mandatory for negatively worded items (7, 13, 14, 16, and 20).

Language Available: English (Primary).

Population Group: General adult population (original target); extensively validated and used with adolescents and young adults.

Age Group: Late Adolescence through Adulthood.

Population Details: Has been employed in diverse populations, including investigations into the relationship between social support and health practices among black late adolescents (Gage, 2014).

Test Methodology: Respondents indicate the frequency of their engagement in a series of specific health-related actions over a defined period.

Keywords

Self-Care, Preventative Medicine, Health Screening, Adolescent Psychology, Psychometrics, Smoking Cessation, Nutrition, Exercise Habits.

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Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not available in source material.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not available in source material.

Correspondence Address: Correspondence generally directed toward the institutions of the primary authors at the time of publication (1983, 2002), typically associated with Nursing Research departments.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Personal Lifestyle Questionnaire (PLQ) was initially published in 1983 (Brown et al.). Subsequent significant psychometric validation for adolescents occurred in 2002 (Mahon et al.). The scale is frequently cited and reproduced in non-commercial academic theses and dissertations, suggesting relative accessibility for research purposes, although formal permission from the copyright holders or original journal publisher should be sought for commercial use or large-scale implementation.

Reference’s

The instrument in its entirety can be found on pages 112-114 of the thesis “An investigation of mediators of the relationship between social support and positive health practices in black late adolescents” (Gage, 2014). The original PDF can be downloaded here: http://www2.psych.ubc.ca/up%E2%80%8Edateanlab/pdf/HansenNorenzayanReligiousTolerance.pdf. The thesis itself is available online at: https://rucore.libraries.rutgers.edu/rutgers-lib/43765/.

1. Brown‚ N.‚ Muhlenkamp‚ A.‚ Fox‚ L.‚ & Osborn‚ M. (1983). The relationship among health beliefs‚ health values and health promotion activity. Western Journal of Nursing Research‚ 5‚ 155-163.
2. Mahon‚ N. E.‚ Yarcheski‚ A.‚ & Yarcheski‚ T. J. (2002). Psychometric evaluation of the Personal Lifestyle Questionnaire for adolescents. Research in Nursing & Health‚ 25‚ 68-75.
3. Gage‚ Gale S. (author)‚ 2014. Yarcheski‚ Adela (chair). An investigation of mediators of the relationship between social support and positive health practices in black late adolescents. Thesis. Rutgers University‚ Graduate School – Newark.

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Items of the Personal Lifestyle Questionnaire (PLQ)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

1. See a health care provider for a check-up at least yearly.
2. Get together with friends.
3. Eat at regular times during the day.
4. Wear seatbelts while riding in an automobile.
5. Eat foods from each of the food groups (meat‚ milk‚ breads‚ fruits‚ and vegetables).
6. Communicate concerns with another person.
7. Drive after drinking two or more alcoholic beverages.
8. up‎date emergency numbers kept by the telephone.
9. Get adequate sleep.
10. Have a planned exercise program.
11. Climb at least five flights of stairs or walk one mile each day.
12. Stay within 10 miles per hour of the speed limit while driving.
13. Smoke one or more packs of cigarettes daily.
14. Add salt to food after preparation.
15. Take time to relax 15-20 minutes daily.
16. Drink more than 2 alcoholic beverages per day.
17. Play sports‚ jog‚ or participate in other physical activity at least three times weekly.
18. Meet needs for intimacy.
19. Limit caffeine intake to 3 cups daily (includes tea‚ coffee‚ and colas).
20. Smoke in bed.
21. Have a dental check-up yearly.
22. Do a monthly self-breast exam (females only).
23. Do a monthly testicular self-exam (males only)
24. Maintain weight within desirable limits avoiding both underweight and overweight.
25. Avoid alcoholic beverages when taking medications.