The validation of international consultation on incontinence questionnaires in the Greek language

Neurourol Urodyn. 2012 Sep;31(7):1141-4. doi: 10.1002/nau.22197. Epub 2012 Apr 16.

Abstract

Aims: The objective of this study was to validate four specific International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaires (ICIQ) modules in the Greek language: (i) the ICIQ-FLUTS long form (ICIQ-FLUTS-LF), (ii) the ICIQ-FLUTS, (iii) the ICIQ-FLUTS-SEX, and (iv) the ICIQ-Vaginal Symptoms Questionnaire (ICIQ-VS), originally validated in English.

Methods: The English questionnaires were initially translated into Greek, then back-translated into English and final modifications were made after testing the questionnaires on a sample of patients. To validate the translated questionnaires, the following tests were undertaken: Content/face validity, internal consistency (reliability) and stability (test-retest reliability).

Results: A total of 122 women participated in the study. Eighty-nine presented with pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and/or urinary incontinence (UI) symptoms and 33 attended an outpatient gynecological clinic without POP/UI symptoms. All modules showed excellent content/face validity (missing values 0-2.5%). Cronbach's alpha test for internal consistency showed satisfactory to excellent reliability (0.876 for ICIQ-FLUTS-LF, 0.85 for ICIQ-FLUTS, and 0.83 for ICIQ-VS), with the exception ICIQ-FLUTS-SEX which was 0.69. The test-retest reliability showed moderate to near-perfect agreement (weighted kappa value 0.52-0.99).

Conclusions: The Greek versions of the ICIQ-FLUTS-LF, ICIQ-FLUTS, and ICIQ-VS questionnaires were successfully validated. Our data showed that the ICIQ FLUTS-SEX questionnaire, as it stands in its current English version, cannot be reliably used to assess sex symptoms in the Greek female population.

Publication types

  • Validation Study

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Comprehension
  • Cultural Characteristics
  • Diagnostic Techniques, Urological*
  • Female
  • Greece
  • Humans
  • Language*
  • Middle Aged
  • Pelvic Organ Prolapse / diagnosis*
  • Pelvic Organ Prolapse / physiopathology
  • Predictive Value of Tests
  • Psychometrics
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Sexual Behavior
  • Surveys and Questionnaires*
  • Urinary Bladder / physiopathology*
  • Urinary Incontinence / diagnosis*
  • Urinary Incontinence / physiopathology
  • Vagina / physiopathology
  • Young Adult