Validation of Hebrew versions of the pelvic floor distress inventory, pelvic organ prolapse/urinary incontinence sexual function questionnaire, and the urgency, severity and impact questionnaire

Objective
Validated objective tools in the native languages of investigated populations are important for evaluating effects of medical disorders and treatments. The aim of our study was to validate a Hebrew version of the validated questionnaires commonly used in the field of urogynecology.

Methods
This is a 2-step, prospective, multicenter study. Using a back-translation method, Hebrew-language versions of the following questionnaires were developed: Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory, Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Function Questionnaire, and the Urgency, Severity and Impact Questionnaire. The questionnaires were administered in both Hebrew and English to 56 bilingual patients with pelvic organ prolapse and/or urinary incontinence. To test reliability, the participants were asked to refill the questionnaires in Hebrew 2 weeks later. Scores from the Hebrew and English versions were compared, using the Wilcoxon signed rank test. Correlations between versions were assessed by the Spearman test. P < 0.05 or less was considered significant.

Results
Scores from the Hebrew and English versions were found to be highly correlated, ρ = 0.61–0.96; P < 0.001. No differences in total scores were detected between the 2 versions of the 3 questionnaires and their subcategories (P > 0.05). Cronbach alpha values were good (0.65–096) for all questionnaires. Scores were highly correlated when the patients refilled the questionnaires in Hebrew (ρ = 0.81–0.98; P < 0.001).

Conclusions
This study provides validated Hebrew versions of 3 well-accepted pelvic floor questionnaires. These questionnaires will enable standardization when assessing women with pelvic floor dysfunction.