Validation of Persian version of the Prolapse Quality-of-Life questionnaire (P-QOL)

Introduction and hypothesis The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of a Persian translation of the Prolapse Quality-of-Life (P-QOL) questionnaire in women with pelvic organ prolapse (POP). Methods One hundred and twenty-four women with POP symptoms and 125 asymptomatic women were studied. The asymptomatic group was used for discriminant validity. Results Seventy-two percent (89/124) of the symptomatic women had stage >= 2 POP while 86% (108/125) of the asymptomatic women had a stage <2 POP. All domains of the Persian P-QOL have a Cronbach's alpha coefficient greater than 0.7 (0.78-0.97) and were significantly different between symptomatic and asymptomatic women indicating a good discriminant validity (<0.01). The test-retest reliability confirmed a highly significant correlation. All items of P-QOL questionnaire correlated significantly with the objective vaginal examination findings (construct validity) except for personal relationship and emotions. Conclusion The Persian version of the P-QOL is a valid and reliable tool to assess QOL of women with POP.