The constipation severity instrument: a validated measure.
OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to develop and test the validity and reliability of the Constipation Severity Instrument.


METHODS
Scale development was conducted in two stages: 1) 74 items were generated through a literature review and focus groups of constipated patients and medical providers; and 2) a preliminary instrument was administered to 191 constipated patients and 103 healthy volunteers. Test-retest reliability of the constipated group was assessed (N=90). Content, convergent, divergent, and discriminant validity were evaluated by using other validated measures by performing one-way analysis of variance and Pearson correlations.


RESULTS
Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis revealed three subscales: obstructive defecation, colonic inertia, and pain. Internal consistency (alpha=0.88-0.91) and test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficients=0.84-0.91) were high for all subscales. Constipated patients were grouped by Rome II criteria: functional constipation (22 percent), pelvic floor dyssynergia (15 percent), constipation predominant irritable bowel syndrome (23 percent), and no specific criteria (40 percent). Those with constipation predominant irritable bowel syndrome or pelvic floor dyssynergia scored higher on the Obstructive Defecation and Colonic Inertia subscales than those with functional constipation or no specific criteria (P=0.001-0.058). Subjects with functional constipation had much lower scores on the pain subscale than constipation predominant irritable bowel syndrome, functional constipation, or no specific criteria (P<0.009). The Constipation Severity Instrument subscale and total score correlated very highly with the subscales and total score of the Patient Assessment of Constipation Symptom measure. The Constipation Severity Instrument subscales discriminated well between constipated patients and healthy volunteers (P<0.001) and demonstrated excellent divergent validity. Higher Constipation Severity Instrument scores inversely correlated with general quality of life.


CONCLUSIONS
The Constipation Severity Instrument is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing constipated patients. Administration of the Constipation Severity Instrument to other constipated patients will further validate its use.
Varma
Madhulika G
MG
Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco, 2330 Post Street, Suite 260, San Francisco, California 94115, USA. varmam@surgery.ucsf.edu
Wang
Jennifer Y
JY
Berian
Julia R
JR
Patterson
Taryn R
TR
McCrea
G Lindsay
GL
Hart
Stacey L
SL
D003248:Constipation / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires