Accidental Bowel Leakage Evaluation: A New Patient-Centered Validated Measure of Accidental Bowel Leakage Symptoms in Women

BACKGROUND: Questionnaires assessing accidental bowel leakage lack important patient-centered symptoms. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to create a valid measure of accidental bowel leakage symptoms. DESIGN: We previously created a conceptual framework capturing patient-centered accidental bowel leakage symptoms. The framework included bowel leakage type, severity and bother, and ancillary bowel symptoms, including predictability, awareness, leakage control, emptying disorders, and discomfort. SETTINGS: The study was conducted in outpatient clinics. PATIENTS: Women with at least monthly accidental bowel leakage were included. INTERVENTIONS: Participants completed the Accidental Bowel Leakage Evaluation at baseline and 12 and 24 weeks, as well as bowel diaries and other validated pelvic floor questionnaires. A subset completed items twice before treatment. Final item selection was based on psychometric properties and clinical importance. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Psychometric analyses included Cronbach α, confirmatory factor, and item response theory analyses. Construct validity was based on correlations with measures of similar constructs. RESULTS: A total of 296 women completed baseline items, and 70 provided test–retest data. The cohort was predominately white (79%) and middle aged (64 ± 11 y). Confirmatory factor analyses supported the conceptual framework. The final 18-item scale demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach α = 0.77–0.90) and test-r...
Source: Diseases of the Colon and Rectum - Category: Gastroenterology Tags: Original Contributions: Pelvic Floor Source Type: research