Adaptation of the FIQL questionnaire for patients with anal incontinence

Aim. To evaluate the effectiveness of the cultural and linguistic adaptation of the Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life Scale (FIQOL) for the Russian-speaking population.Methods: A cultural and linguistic adaptation of the FIQL questionnaire was performed in accordance with international guidelines. This process included several key steps: professional translation of the questionnaire, back translation, and critical discussion within an interdisciplinary council comprising translators, linguists, psychologists, doctors, and patients. Preliminary testing and reliability assessment were also conducted. The results of the preliminary testing are presented in this article. A total of 26 patients who had undergone surgical treatment for anal incontinence (sphincterolevatoroplasty) between 2016 and 2022 participated in the preliminary testing phase.Results. The result of the cultural adaptation is the Russian language version of the Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life Scale (FIQOL), which has undergone all the aforementioned stages with corrections and comments in the order of the council of doctor-translator-psychologist-patient. The average time elapsed from the moment of surgery to the survey was 32 months (SD = 20). The average overall score of the questionnaire was 3.2 (SD = 0.62), the average score on the ‘Lifestyle’ scale was 3.3 (SD = 0.74), the average score on the ‘Behaviour, daily worries’ scale was 3.2 (SD = 0.65), the average score on the ‘Depression and self-perception scale was 3.4 (SD = 0.91) and the average score on the ‘Shame’ scale was 3.2 (SD = 0.71). The assessment of the reliability of the questionnaire, as shown by the alpha-Kronbach coefficient, was 0.94, which corresponds to the assessment of ‘very good reliability’.Conclusion. The presented data show that the Russian version of the Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life Scale (FIQOL) is adapted for use by Russian-speaking patients and specialists, is reliable, and can be used as a primary tool for assessing the quality of life of patients with anal incontinence.