title: Patients' knowledge of pregnancy-related issues in inflammatory bowel disease and validation of a novel assessment tool ('CCPKnow').
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) require complex therapeutic decisions and life choices concerning pregnancy, but little is known about patient's knowledge of IBD and its treatment before and during pregnancy.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To develop a novel tool (Crohn's and Colitis Pregnancy Knowledge Score 'CCPKnow') to assess knowledge of pregnancy-related issues in IBD. The validated tool was then applied to determine knowledge in patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Discriminate ability of 'CCPKnow' was validated in four groups with different levels of IBD knowledge. Reliability and readability were tested by Cronbach-α and Flesch-Kencaid. Construct validity was subsequently assessed against general IBD knowledge (CCKnow) in 145 women with IBD. Associations between patient factors and knowledge were studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median CCPKnow scores differed significantly between the validation groups (P < 0.001). CCPKnow displayed excellent internal consistency, reliability (Cronbach-α 0.94), readability (reading age 9 years) and close correlation with CCKnow (Spearman's ρ 0.64; P < 0.001). Of 145 patients, 44.8% had poor, 27.6% adequate, 17.3% good and only 10.3% very good knowledge. Better knowledge was associated with Caucasian ethnicity, higher income, having a partner, having children, Crohn's and Colitis Association membership, longer disease duration and Crohn's disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Crohn's and Colitis Pregnancy Knowledge Score, a novel knowledge assessment tool of pregnancy and IBD, demonstrated excellent test characteristics. We found that nearly half of the women with IBD had poor knowledge, identifying a pressing need for better education.
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology and Liver Services, Concord Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia. christian.selinger@web.de
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Selinger
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Eaden
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Selby
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Katelaris
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chapman
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: McDonald
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McLaughlin
authors.forename: R W L
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Leong
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012923:Social Class; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires