ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Pelvic floor disorders [urinary (UI) and/or fecal C (FI) incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse (POP)] may have a significant impact in womens' quality of life (QoL). The Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire (PFIQ-7) and Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory (PFDI-20) help assess these disorders; however, we do not have them culturally translated in the Brazilian Portuguese language. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed of 185 women with pelvic floor disorders (PFD group) and 65 healthy patients (control group). A translated, pilot-tested, Brazilian Portuguese version were given to these women. Internal consistency, construct validity, and floor/ceiling effect were assessed. Test-retest was performed in 79 patients after 4 weeks, and responsiveness was assessed in 42 patients after surgical treatment. RESULTS: Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) was adequate between PFD and control groups on the PFDI-20 (0.816-0.844) and PFIQ-7 (0.823-0.846). Test-retest reliability was also adequate [intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) 0.803-0.843]. Subscales [Pelvic Organ Prolapse Impact Questionnaire (POPIQ-7) and Colorectal-Anal Impact Questionnaire (CRAIQ-7) from the PFIQ-7 demonstrated floor effect (42.70, 60, and 18.38 %, respectively) in the PFD group, with no influence at total score. No ceiling effect was observed. Construct validity was adequate at all correlations between clinical symptoms and subscales in both questionnaires in both groups. Responsiveness was demonstrated by a statistically significant reduction in scale/subscale scores from PFDI-20 and PFIQ-7 after surgical treatment. CONCLUSION: The PFDI-20 and PFIQ-7 presented adequate cultural translation and are reliable and valid in the Brazilian Portuguese language.
