Few instruments measure knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs (KAB) related to bladder health. Existing questionnaires have predominantly focused on KAB related to specific conditions such as urinary incontinence, overactive bladder, and other pelvic floor disorders. To address this literature gap, the Prevention of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (PLUS) research consortium developed an instrument that is being administered in the baseline assessment of the PLUS RISE FOR HEALTH longitudinal study.
The bladder health knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs (BH-KAB) instrument development process consisted of two phases, item development and evaluation. Item development was guided by a conceptual framework, review of existing KAB instruments, and a review of qualitative data from the PLUS consortium Study of Habits, Attitudes, Realities, and Experiences (SHARE). Evaluation comprised three methods to assess content validity and reduce and refine items: q-sort, e-panel survey, and cognitive interviews.
The final 18-item BH-KAB instrument assesses self-reported bladder knowledge; perceptions of bladder function, anatomy, and related medical conditions; attitudes toward different patterns of fluid intake, voiding, and nocturia; the potential to prevent or treat urinary tract infections and incontinence; and the impact of pregnancy and pelvic muscle exercises on bladder health.
The PLUS BH-KAB instrument may be used independently or in conjunction with other KAB instruments for a more comprehensive assessment of women's KAB related to bladder health. The BH-KAB instrument can inform clinical conversations, health education programming, and research examining potential determinants of bladder health, LUTS, and related behavioral habits (e.g., toileting, fluid intake, pelvic muscle exercises).
Neurourology and urodynamics. 2023 Mar 11 [Epub ahead of print]
Daphne Yvette LaCoursiere, Lisa Kane Low, Sara Putnam, Jean F Wyman, Diane K Newman, Shayna Cunningham, Leslie Rickey, Amanda Berry, Sheila Gahagan, Camille P Vaughan, Oluwateniola Brown, Sonya S Brady, Prevention of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (PLUS) Research Consortium, National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA., School of Nursing, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA., Division of Biostatistics, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA., School of Nursing, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA., Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA., Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, USA., Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA., Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA., Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, California, USA., Department of Veterans Affairs Birmingham, Atlanta Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA., Division of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA., Division of Epidemiology & Community Health, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.