title: Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life Scale: quality of life instrument for patients with fecal incontinence.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This goal of this research was to develop and evaluate the psychometrics of a health-related quality of life scale developed to address issues related specifically to fecal incontinence, the Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life Scale.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life Scale is composed of a total of 29 items; these items form four scales: Lifestyle (10 items), Coping/Behavior (9 items), Depression/Self-Perception (7 items), and Embarrassment (3 items).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Psychometric evaluation of these scales demonstrates that they are both reliable and valid. Each of the scales demonstrate stability over time (test/retest reliability) and have acceptable internal reliability (Cronbach alpha >0.70). Validity was assessed using discriminate and convergent techniques. Each of the four scales of the Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life Scale was capable of discriminating between patients with fecal incontinence and patients with other gastrointestinal problems. To evaluate convergent validity, the correlation of the scales in the Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life Scale with selected subscales in the SF-36 was analyzed. The scales in the Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life Scale demonstrated significant correlations with the subscales in the SF-36.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The psychometric evaluation of the Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life Scale showed that this fecal incontinence-specific quality of life measure produces both reliable and valid measurement.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Outcomes Research Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55406, USA.
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Rockwood
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Church
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Fleshman
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Kane
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mavrantonis
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Thorson
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Wexner
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bliss
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Lowry
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D005242:Fecal Incontinence / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000523:psychology; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012649:Self Concept; D012752:Shame