Validation of an Arabic version of the global Pelvic Floor Bother Questionnaire

Objective: To validate an Arabic version of the global Pelvic Floor Bother Questionnaire (PFBQ), a self-administered 9-item symptom assessment tool. Methods: The translation-back translation method was used to create an Arabic version of the PFBQ Clarity of terms and face validity were ensured by modifying the translated version according to comments from a focus group. The Arabic PFBQ was completed by 130 Lebanese women, who were allocated to affected (n=65) or control (n=65) groups on the basis of 2 verbally administered screening questions. Validity was assessed by comparing the PFBQ scores of the 2 groups. Test-retest reliability was evaluated in a subgroup of women who completed the PFBQ on 2 separate occasions; the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) for paired items was then calculated. Results: Total PFBQ scores of the affected and control groups were significantly different (31.52 +/- 16.80 vs 6.73 +/- 7.50; P<0.001). Mean scores for individual PFBQ items were significantly different between the 2 groups, with the exception of dyspareunia. The ICC was above 0.7 for all individual items, thus confirming test-retest reliability. Conclusion: An Arabic version of the global PFBQ was developed and found to be both valid and reliable in the target population. (C) 2013 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.