Translation and validation of the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Vaginal Symptoms (ICIQ-VS): the Danish version

INTRODUCTION: In the clinical evaluation of women with pelvic organ prolapse (POP), it is important to evaluate both objective and subjective presentations. The objective evaluation is done by gynecological examination, but the subjective presentation is more complex. The International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Vaginal Symptoms (ICIQ-VS) is an important tool for subjective evaluation, and a Danish version was developed.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The English version was translated into Danish in accordance with guidelines. Eight women underwent a semistructured interview showing no misunderstandings. Women with and without prolapse completed the questionnaire and underwent a Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification (POP-Q) examination. Three weeks later a retest was done. Women undergoing prolapse surgery completed the questionnaire 3 months postoperatively.

RESULTS: Ninety-four women with and 98 without prolapse were included; 52 underwent surgery. Retest response rate was 88-95%. Mean time between test and retest was 24.5 and 92.2 days, respectively. Missing data ranged between 0 and 1%. Test-retest reliability was good to excellent (ICC 0.61-0.88) and internal consistency was acceptable (Cronbach's alpha 0.79-0.84). The questionnaire was excellent when distinguishing between women with and without prolapse (p < 0.001). Criterion validity (correlation between POP-Q stage and the questionnaire) was perfect (p < 0.001). Sensitivity to change was excellent for vaginal symptom score and quality of life (p < 0.001) but not for sexual matters (p = 0.059).

CONCLUSIONS: The Danish version of ICIQ-VS was successfully translated and can be a valuable tool for prolapse research and daily evaluation of patients.