A validated self-administered female pelvic floor questionnaire

Abstract

Introduction and hypothesis: The aim of this study was to
validate a self-administered version of the already
validated interviewer-administered Australian pelvic floor
questionnaire.
Methods: The questionnaire was completed by 163 women
attending an urogynecological clinic. Face and convergent
validity was assessed. Reliability testing and comparison
with the interviewer-administered version was performed in
a subset of 105 patients. Responsiveness was evaluated in a
subset of 73 women.
Results: Missing data did not exceed 4% for any question.
Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were acceptable in all
domains. Kappa coefficients for the test–retest analyses
varied from 0.64–1.0. Prolapse symptoms correlated significantly with the pelvic organ prolapse quantification.
Urodynamics confirmed the reported symptom stress incontinence in 70%. The self and interviewer administered
questionnaires demonstrated equivalence. Effect sizes ranged from 0.6 to 1.4.
Conclusions: This self-administered pelvic floor questionnaire assessed pelvic floor function in a reproducible and valid fashion and due to its responsiveness, can be used for routine clinical assessment and outcome research.