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Using the ICS QoL to measure the impact of lower urinary tract symptoms on quality of life: evidence from the ICS–‘BPH’ study
Author(s) -
DONOVAN J.L.,
KAY H.E.,
PETERS T.J.,
ABRAMS P.,
COAST J.,
MATOSFERREIRA A.,
RENTZHOG L.,
BOSCH J.L.H.R.,
NORDLING J.,
GAJEWSKI J. B.,
BARBALIAS G.,
SCHICK E.,
MENDES SILVA M.,
NISSENKORN I.,
DE LA ROSETTE J. J. M. C. H.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
british journal of urology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.773
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1464-410X
pISSN - 0007-1331
DOI - 10.1046/j.1464-410x.1997.00461.x
Subject(s) - lower urinary tract symptoms , quality of life (healthcare) , medicine , construct validity , internal consistency , reliability (semiconductor) , test (biology) , international prostate symptom score , gerontology , physical therapy , psychometrics , clinical psychology , prostate , nursing , paleontology , power (physics) , physics , cancer , quantum mechanics , biology
Objective To present and describe the validity and reliability of the International Continence Society–Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia study quality‐of‐life (ICS QoL ) instrument, a new set of questions to assess the impact of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) on quality of life (QoL) in middle‐aged and elderly men. Patients and methods The study comprised 1271 consecutive men over the age of 45 years, attending urology departments in 12 countries, with LUTS and possible benign prostatic obstruction who were recruited to the ICS‐‘BPH’ study (the clinic group); 423 ambulant men were recruited from a general practice in the UK to provide a community group. Each individual completed the ICS‐‘BPH’ study questionnaire which includes six items addressing general and specific aspects of QoL (the ICS QoL ). Content and construct validity were assessed by interviews with patients and by testing hypotheses within the study groups, e.g. the relationships with age, individual LUTS (as measured on the ICS male questionnaire) and generic health status, as measured by the Short Form (SF‐36) and EuroQol instruments. Reliability was assessed by measures of internal consistency and a test‐retest analysis. Results The ICS QoL items were easily understood by patients, were completed with low levels of missing data, and address some (but not all) concerns about the impact of LUTS on QoL. The ICS QoL items have good construct validity, showing expected differences between community and clinic samples, and expected relationships with each other and individual LUTS. Items had good test‐retest reliability, but their internal consistency was poor, confirming that ICS QoL questions should not be combined into a score. General ICS QoL items were closely related with most domains of the SF‐36 and the EuroQol. Conclusion ICS QoL items may be used individually or as a group in research studies or in clinical practice.