전립선비대증 관련 삶의 질에 대한 설문 개발: 신뢰도 및 타당성 검증

Abstract

Purpose: Accurate assessment of quality of life(QOL) in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms(LUTS) such as benign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH) is an important aspect in clinical management. We developed a comprehensive questionnaire on QOL encompassing disease specific informations and general health perceptions, which were tested for reliability and validity. Materials and Methods: First we analyzed raw data acquired from the reports of 380 men over 50 years with LUTS visiting 10 university medical centers in Korea. Based on 1,316 preliminary data the specific items of inquiry were developed. The preliminary pretest and pilot study were performed to develop appropriate questions according to different domains. Developed questions were tested for reliability and validity in 316 and 190 patients with confirmed diagnosis of BPH respectively. Results: The questionnaire composed of 35 items in 8 domains were developed after the preliminary pretest, pilot study and tests for reliability and validity. Mean time elapsed in completing questionnaire was 13.2 minutes, and the level of comprehension was not affected by age or degree of education. On the test-retest reliability, high correlations(0.61-0.88) and high Cronbach alpha(0.746-0.921) were observed, supporting the satisfactory internal consistency reliability. As for validity, the significant differences were noted in the items regarding the LUTS severity(p<0.01, excluding the aspects of sexual life and vitality) and the post-treatment recovery(p<0.05, excluding the aspects of sexual life and vitality). Conclusions: The newly devised questionnaire focused on QOL of LUTS patients offers valuable clinical informations to physicians, with proven reliability and validity. This questionnaire can provide a guideline in patients with LUTS, and the therapeutic efficacy in terms of QOL can be well demonstrated. Key word : Quality of life, Benign prostatic hyperplasia, Lower urinary tract symptom.