Response validity of Persian version of P-QOL questionnaire in patients with prolapse

Abstract

Background and objectivePelvic organ prolapse (POP) refers to drop of any pelvic organs into or outside of the vaginal canal or anus. This is a disabling condition that results in limitations in all aspects of women's lives, especially quality of life. The evaluation of quality of life in women with POP requires the use of a valid and reliable measure. An important aspect of validity is responsiveness. The aim of current study is to evaluate the responsiveness of P-QOL questionnaire in patients with prolapse. MethodsWomen with confirmed diagnosed POP by gynecologist who were scheduled to undergo POP's treatment enrolled in the study. Quality of life as an outcome measure was evaluated before and six month after treatment besides assessing of physical index of treatment's effect (pelvic organ prolapse quantification; POP-Q). Responsiveness was evaluated using calculation of standardized response mean (SRM) and effect size (ES). ResultsFifty women were evaluated in current study. Mean age was 43.5±11.8 years old. The range of Cronbach's alpha was between 0.60 and 0.89 for all domains of P-QOL. The range of SRM for all domains was between 0.60 and 0.88. The range of ES was between 0.54 and 0.96. Score of all domains of P-QOL was statistically different between pre and post-treatment (P<0.0001). ConclusionThe findings of current study showed the P-QOL questionnaire has a good responsiveness in Persian language and could use to assess the impact of interventions on quality of life in patients with prolapse.