Criterion validity, test‐retest reliability and sensitivity to change of the St George urinary incontinence score

• Published in: BJU international Vol. 93; no. 3; pp. 331 - 335
• Main Authors: Blackwell, A.L., Yoong, W., Moore, K.H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Science Ltd 01.02.2004; Blackwell
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Female; Health Status Indicators; Humans; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Nephrology. Urinary tract diseases; reproducibility; Reproducibility of Results; Sensitivity and Specificity; Surveys and Questionnaires - standards; urinary incontinence; Urinary Incontinence - diagnosis; Urinary Incontinence - therapy; Urinary Incontinence, Stress - diagnosis; Urinary system involvement in other diseases. Miscellaneous; Urinary tract. Prostate gland; validity; Human; Nephrology; Urinary system disease; Evaluation scale; Urinary tract disease; Urology; Urinary incontinence; Voiding dysfunction; Validity; Criterion; Reproducibility; Bladder disease; Reliability
• ISSN: 1464-4096; 1464-410X
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1464-410X.2003.04610.x

OBJECTIVE To assess the criterion validity, test‐retest reliability and the sensitivity to change after treatment of the St George Urinary Incontinence Score (SGUIS). PATIENTS AND METHODS Women presenting with urinary incontinence completed two SGUIS tests one week apart. A frequency‐volume chart (FVC) was completed before the first attendance and the women had a 1‐h pad test before treatment. Patients were treated conservatively under the care of a urogynaecologist or nurse continence advisor, or surgically with an open or laparoscopic colposuspension. After treatment, the SGUIS, FVC and 1‐h pad test were repeated. RESULTS The SGUIS correlated moderately well with the number of leaks per week (Spearman's r = 0.610, 95% confidence interval 0.516–0.689, P < 0.001) but less well with the 1‐h pad test loss (r = 0.257, 0.124–0.380, P = 0.002). The test‐retest reliability was acceptable, as the mean (sd) difference between the first and second SGUIS was 0.337 (2.675), with limits of agreement of −5.012 to −5.686. The change in the SGUIS after treatment correlated well with the improvement in the number of leaks per week (r= 0.742, 0.662–0.805, 156 samples, P < 0.001) but not as well with the change in 1‐h pad test loss (r= 0.531, 0.405–0.636, 151, P < 0.001), although the trend was similar. CONCLUSION The criterion validity of the SGUIS appeared adequate for both the number of leaks per week on the FVC and leakage on the 1‐h pad test. The statistical reproducibility of the test was adequate and appeared more responsive to change after treatment than the other measures. The score is suitable for rapid self‐administration by patients with a range of incontinence types, unlike most other currently available test instruments.