The daily diary and the questionnaire are not equivalent for the evaluation of bowel habits.
BACKGROUND
It is unclear whether questionnaires and diary cards, which are widely used to collect data on bowel habits, provide analogous information.


OBJECTIVE
We verified the concordance between the data provided by a daily diary and a retrospective questionnaire.


METHODS
A 4-week diary (DIARY) concerning bowel habits was compiled by 221 subjects. They were also asked to fill out a questionnaire on their bowel habits before (BEF) and after (AFT) the diary period.


RESULTS
Concerning bowel movements, no significant difference was detected in the concordance between BEF and DIARY (rho: 0.80), AFT and DIARY (rho: 0.84), or BEF and AFT (rho: 0.84). The mean concordance in the other defecation-related parameters between BEF and DIARY (K: 0.62) and between DIARY and AFT (K: 0.63) were both significantly lower than that seen between BEF and AFT (K: 0.80; p<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
A considerable discrepancy between the two methods of assessment was found. The higher concordance between BEF and AFT than between DIARY and AFT regarding defecation-related parameters suggests that when a subject recalls events, even those from the recent past, he/she tends to generalize, reporting more or less the same data for different periods of time. These two instruments cannot be viewed as interchangeable, and their inherent differences must be taken into account when deciding which one to employ in different settings.
Bellini
Massimo
M
Gastrointestinal Unit, Department of Gastroenterology, University of Pisa, Via Paradisa 2, 56126 Pisa, Italy. mbellini@med.unipi.it
Bove
Antonio
A
Sormani
Maria Pia
MP
Battaglia
Edda
E
Bocchini
Renato
R
Alduini
Pietro
P
Bassotti
Gabrio
G
Bruzzi
Paolo
P
Pucciani
Filippo
F
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003672:Defecation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult