Development and validation of the BSP-BPH (Bononian Satisfaction Profile--Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia) a "disease-specific" questionnaire for the evaluation of health related quality of life in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia.
OBJECTIVE
Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTS) associated to Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) are very common in middle aged and older men. Since BPH, and the related therapies have a significant impact on a patient's Quality of Life (QoL), the health related quality of life (HQoL) evaluation is becoming an important aspect to be considered. The present study deals with the development and validation of a BPH disease specific questionnaire (Bononian Satisfaction Profile - BSP-BPH), considering HQoL in patients seeking medical help for BPH. The innovation of this questionnaire is that the patients' scores achieved are related to their subjective satisfaction.


METHODS
Questionnaire development: On the base of our previous experience with BSP-PC (a disease specific questionnaire assessing HQoL in prostate Cancer patients), of a careful review of other available instruments (SAT-P, SF-36, ICS-QoL, BPH-HqoL) and of three subsequent meetings with experts (10) and patients (20), we defined the ten life aspects mostly impaired by BPH. We created a first 72-item version of the BSP-BPH. Ten patients cross matched for age end education to our study population were asked to fill in the questionnaire. A 31 item questionnaire version, together with EuroQoL, an already generic validated instrument, was administered to 121 patients as well. Further meetings and statistical analysis defined the 18 items of the BSP- BPH. Questionnaire validation: the BSP-BPH was filled in by 435 patients enrolled in a campaign for detection of prostatic diseases held among the male population of Bologna.


RESULTS
Questionnaire development: the participants' mean age was 63 years (N = 121); 47.1% had BPH. The 18 items were selected on the basis of the following criteria: a) r > 0.50, p < 0.05 (correlation test re-test); b) p < 0.05 (ANOVA presence vs absence of BPH); c) r > 0.50, p < 0.05 (correlation with EuroQol). Questionnaire validation: the participants' mean age was 63 years (N = 436). 16 patients with a history of neoplasia were excluded from our study. 21 were missing data. 45% of the sample had BPH. Principal component analysis identified 5 components: 1) satisfaction about sexual functionality (Cronbach alpha = 0.94); 2) satisfaction about social functionality (alpha = 0.80); 3) satisfaction about cognitive/emotional functionality (alpha = 0.82); 4) satisfaction about urinary functionality (alpha = 0.87); 5) satisfaction about physical functionality (alpha = 0.66); total Cronbach alpha was 0.88.


CONCLUSIONS
The 18 items version of BSP-BPH questionnaire can be used as an instrument for HQoL evaluation in patients with BPH focusing on patients' subjective satisfaction. At the moment only the Italian version is available.
Bertaccini
Alessandro
A
Department of Urology, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Italy. alessandro@bertaccini.net
Martinelli
Antonio
A
Ceccarelli
Roberta
R
Palmieri
Fabiano
F
Vitullo
Giovanni
G
Urbinati
Marco
M
Marchiori
Debora
D
Costal
Francesco
F
Martorana
Giuseppe
G
D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000150:complications; D011788:Quality of Life; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires