title: Psychometric evaluation of an online and paper accidental bowel leakage questionnaire: The ICIQ-B questionnaire.
abstract: To evaluate the psychometric properties of an online versus paper US-English version of the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Bowel (ICIQ-B).
  
  
  
  The ICIQ-B includes 17 items under 3 domains: bowel pattern (5 items), bowel control (7 items), and quality of life (5 items). We recruited community-dwelling adults seeking treatment for ≥monthly bowel leakage from specialty clinics within a VA medical center and university affiliate. An online versus paper version was evaluated at baseline, 2 weeks later, and 3 months after nonsurgical treatments per usual care. We assessed test-retest reliability (Pearson correlations) at 2 weeks, internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha), and convergent validity (Pearson correlations). Sensitivity to change was the difference between the baseline and post-treatment (3-month) scores.
  
  
  
  Mean age was 58.0 ± 11.9; 36% Veterans, 52% women. At baseline, 2 weeks, and 3 months, we found no differences in the online vs paper scores for the bowel control and quality of life domains. The ICIQ-B demonstrated fair internal consistency for the bowel pattern domain (Cronbach's α = 0.36-0.54). Internal consistency on the bowel pattern domain was better with the paper version than the online version at 2 weeks (P < 0.05) and 3 months (P < 0.01) with no difference at baseline. All other domains had good internal consistency (Cronbach's α > 0.80), good retest reliability (r ≥ 0.70, P < 0.001), domain-specific convergent validity for stool consistency (P < 0.05), incontinence severity (P ≤ 0.002), and quality of life impact (P < 0.05). After nonsurgical treatments, we found a reasonable response to change (P ≤ 0.05).
  
  
  
  Online and paper versions had robust psychometric data for use among U.S. men and women, including Veterans. Neurourol. Urodynam. 36:166-170, 2017. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
authors.affiliation: Birmingham/Atlanta Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Birmingham Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.|Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.
authors.forename: Alayne D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Markland
authors.affiliation: Birmingham/Atlanta Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Birmingham Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.|Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.
authors.forename: Kathryn L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Burgio
authors.affiliation: Birmingham/Atlanta Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Birmingham Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.|Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.
authors.forename: T Mark
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Beasley
authors.affiliation: Department of Health, Nutrition, & Exercise Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota.
authors.forename: Shannon L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: David
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.
authors.forename: David T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Redden
authors.affiliation: Birmingham/Atlanta Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Birmingham Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.|Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.
authors.forename: Patricia S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Goode
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005242:Fecal Incontinence / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: accidental bowel leakage; fecal incontinence; functional bowel disorders; psychometric evaluation; quality of life; questionnaire