Validation of an Italian version of the prolapse quality of life questionnaire.
OBJECTIVE
To validate the italian translated version of the prolapse quality of life questionnaire (P-QOL).


METHODS
The P-QOL questionnaire was translated into Italian and administered to women recruited from a gynaecology outpatient clinic. All women completed a P-QOL questionnaire at the time of the visit, and were examined in left lateral position using the ICS prolapse score. A second P-QOL questionnaire was posted and completed by women 1 week later. The validity was assessed by measuring levels of missing data, comparing symptom scores with objective prolapse stages and between affected and asymptomatic women. The reliability was assessed by testing internal consistency and stability using 1-week test retest analysis.


RESULTS
132 symptomatic and 61 asymptomatic women were studied. The number of missing items was 2%. P-QOL domain scores were significantly different between symptomatic and asymptomatic women (P<0.001). Severity according to P-QOL strongly correlated with the prolapse size (P<0.01, rho>0.5). All items achieved a Cronbach alpha greater than 0.8. The test retest reliability confirmed a highly significant correlation between the total scores for each domain.


CONCLUSIONS
The Italian version of the P-QOL questionnaire has been validated, providing a reliable, easily comprehensible and valid instrument for the symptomatic assessment of Italian-speaking women with uterovaginal prolapse.
Digesu
G Alessandro
GA
II Operative Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Policlinico, Bari, Italy. digesualex@hotmail.com
Santamato
Sabino
S
Khullar
Vik
V
Santillo
Valeria
V
Digesu
Antonio
A
Cormio
Gennaro
G
Loverro
Giuseppe
G
Selvaggi
Luigi
L
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D014175:Translating; D014596:Uterine Prolapse / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*