The Validity and Reliability of the Knowledge of Womenʼs Issues and Epilepsy (KOWIE) Questionnaires I and II

Abstract

The Knowledge of Women's Issues in Epilepsy (KOWIE) Questionnaires I and II were developed to assess what women with epilepsy (WWE) and practitioners know about relevant topics and concerns. Prior to disseminating any tool, an instrument should be both valid and reliable. The purpose of this study was to report the validity and reliability of the KOWIE Questionnaires I and II. To establish validity, the original KOWIE was sent to five experts who critiqued the relevance of each item. A content validity inventory (CVI) was developed later and sent to 20 additional epilepsy experts across the country. Tool stability was evaluated by test-retest procedures. Patients and practitioners completed corresponding tools on day one, and 24 hours later, on day two. Participants were asked to not review information on the topic of interest until after study procedures were completed. Sixteen of 20 expert responses were included in data analysis; 4 were excluded due to incomplete data. The CVI correlation coefficient was 0.92. Test-retest results from all 9 patients and 18 of 20 healthcare professionals were included in data analysis. Correlation coefficients were 0.88 and 0.83 for the KOWIE I and II, respectively, confirming these questionnaires are valid and reliable. While future knowledge may require altering both tools, the current instrument may be used as an assessment tool and guide intervention as it pertains to outcomes in WWE.