Validation of the Brazilian version of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule in women with chronic pelvic pain

Abstract

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) is a persistent pain perceived in structures related to the pelvis. It is often associated with negative functioning consequences that generate disability. There are currently no validated tools in the literature for measuring functioning according to the theoretical-conceptual model presented by the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) for patients with CPP. The objective of this study was to test the measurement properties of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0) for women with CPP. METHODS: This is a validation study. The auxiliary instruments used in the validation process of the WHODAS 2.0 were: the 12-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12), the Numerical Pain Rating Scale, and a form with sociodemographic and clinical data. Internal consistency was analyzed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient, construct validity was assessed using Spearman's correlation coefficient, discriminative validity was analyzed using the analysis of variance, and test-retest reliability was analyzed using the Intra-class Correlation Coefficient (ICC). RESULTS: The study included 128 women with CPP. Reliability analysis showed satisfactory results in terms of internal consistency (a=0.71 to 0.94) and excellent in test-retest reliability (IIC= 0.69 to 0.91). Validity analysis showed a strong to moderate correlation in construct validity between the total WHODAS score and the physical (rho=0.7, p<0.001) and mental components of the SF-12 (rho-0.67, p<0.0001), and statistically significant values for discriminative validity according to pain intensity in the last 30 days. CONCLUSION: The WHODAS 2.0 instrument proved to be a reliable and valid questionnaire for investigating the functioning and disability of women with CPE