title: Translation and validation of the traditional Chinese version of the faecal incontinence quality of life scale.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Psychometric evaluation with tools such as the faecal incontinence quality of life scale is an essential component of clinical assessment. Currently, there is no translated Traditional Chinese version of the scale. A validated translated version may help to improve the quality of healthcare received in countries with Chinese minorities (0.5, 1.2 and 4.0% of the UK, USA and Australian population, respectively) as well as local population of Hong Kong. The purpose of this study is to validate the Traditional Chinese version of the faecal incontinence quality of life scale (FIQL).
  
  
  METHODS
  The FIQL questionnaire was translated into Traditional Chinese Language followed by linguistic validation. It was then tested on 55 patients with faecal incontinence and 93 controls in the colorectal outpatients clinic. Faecal incontinence severity index was also used for the assessment of disease severity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Internal consistency was good/excellent for all scales (Cronbach's alpha >0.70, between 0.71 and 0.93). The intra-class correlation indicated a high stability over time with coefficients ranging between 0.78 and 0.90. Test and retest of all four scales found no significant differences of mean scores between baseline and retest. The mean faecal incontinence quality of life scale scores of all four domains improved significantly after treatment of 10 patients whose faecal incontinence severity index scores decreased by 50 % of their pre-treatment scores, hence indicating good sensitivity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates the linguistic and psychometric validity of the traditional Chinese version of the faecal incontinence quality of life scale.
authors.affiliation: Division of Colorectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, S.A.R. tonymak@surgery.cuhk.edu.hk.
authors.forename: Tony W C
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Mak
authors.affiliation: Division of Colorectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, S.A.R.
authors.forename: Wing Wa
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.affiliation: Division of Colorectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, S.A.R.
authors.forename: Dennis K Y
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Ngo
authors.affiliation: Division of Colorectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, S.A.R.
authors.forename: Janet F Y
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Division of Colorectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, S.A.R.
authors.forename: Sophie S F
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Hon
authors.affiliation: Division of Colorectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, S.A.R. simonng@surgery.cuhk.edu.hk.
authors.forename: Simon S M
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Ng
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D005242:Fecal Incontinence / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014175:Translating
keywords: Faecal incontinence; Obstetric trauma; Pelvic floor dysfunction; Quality of life