Test-retest reliability, validity, and sensitivity to change of the urogenital distress inventory and the incontinence impact questionnaire.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate two quality of life measures for urinary incontinence (UI) in Scottish females.


METHODS
Three groups with UI from two regions in Scotland were studied. Two groups were receiving treatment for incontinence; the third was not. Women completed the UDI and IIQ twice to allow assessment of test-retest reliability and validity. Treatment groups completed the questionnaires again, postintervention, to assess ability of the measures to detect change. Other measures used to assess validity were the SF-36, HADS, weight of urine leaked, and number of incontinence episodes. By design, the three subject groups differed significantly in their characteristics, ensuring a diverse sample of women.


RESULTS
Analysis of reliability showed a clinically trivial but statistically significant decrease in total UDI (mean, -6.1; 95% CI, -11.0 to -1.5) and IIQ (mean, -9.7; 95% CI, -15.5 to -3.9) scores between test and retest assessments, possibly due to a research effect. Most items of the UDI (18 of 19) and IIQ (28 of 30) performed very well on test-retest. The UDI and IIQ were valid in that higher scores (indicating more bothersomeness of symptoms/impact on daily living) were associated with greater severity of UI. Additionally the IIQ showed the expected associations with measures of anxiety and health status.


CONCLUSIONS
Both the UDI and IIQ detected changes in women's conditions due to intervention. The measures had good psychometric properties, including test-retest reliability, across subject groups.
Hagen
Suzanne
S
Nursing Research Initiative for Scotland, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, Scotland.
Hanley
Janet
J
Capewell
Ann
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012606:Scotland; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000523:psychology