A new condition-specific health-related quality of life questionnaire for the assessment of women with anal incontinence

Objective To design and validate a condition-specific health-related quality of life questionnaire for the assessment of women with anal incontinence. Design A psychometric study by postal survey. Setting South Manchester University Hospital, UK. Sample Two hundred and twenty women with known anal incontinence. Method The questionnaire was adapted from the King's Health Questionnaire, a condition-specific health-related quality of life questionnaire for the assessment of women with urinary incontinence. The questionnaire was then tested for acceptability, reliability and validity by postal survey. Results The Manchester Health Questionnaire was found to be highly acceptable to women and showed excellent internal consistency, test-retest reliability, criterion and construct validity. Conclusion The questionnaire is both a valid and reliable instrument for the assessment of health-related quality of life among women with anal incontinence. It will be useful in many different clinical settings and be of practical use in the evaluation of women after childbirth. As the good response rates show it could be a successful part of a postal survey.