Australian pelvic floor questionnaire: a validated interviewer-administered pelvic floor questionnaire for routine clinic and research

Abstract

The aim of this study was to design and validate an interviewer-administered pelvic floor questionnaire that integrates bladder, bowel and sexual function, pelvic organ prolapse, severity, bothersomeness and condition-specific quality of life. Validation testing of the questionnaire was performed using data from 106 urogynaecological patients and a separately sampled community cohort of 49 women. Missing data did not exceed 2% for any question. It distinguished community and urogynaecological populations regarding pelvic floor dysfunction. The bladder domain correlated with the short version of the Urogenital Distress Inventory, bowel function with an established bowel questionnaire and prolapse symptoms with the International Continence Society prolapse quantification. Sexual function assessment reflected scores on the McCoy Female Sexuality Questionnaire. Cronbach’s α coefficients were acceptable in all domains. Kappa coefficients of agreement for the test–retest analyses varied from 0.5 to 1.0. The interviewer-administered pelvic floor questionnaire assessed pelvic floor function in a reproducible and valid fashion in a typical urogynaecological clinic.

Appendix—Australian Interviewer-Administered Pelvic Floor Questionnaire for patients with pelvic floor disorders.

PATIENT:                                                                                                           DATE: \

PRIMARY PROBLEM:                                                                                   Duration:

SECONDARY:

Bladder section             Q 1–15                                     Score ____/ 45 = ______

Table 4

Bowel Section      Q16–27                                               Score _____/ 34 = ____

Table 5

Prolapse section           Q28 –32                                             Score _____/15 = ______

Table 6