The Prevention of Lower Urinary Symptoms (PLUS) Research Consortium sought to optimize prevention of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in women and adolescent females across their life spans. The ability to measure bladder health and key risk and protective factors was crucial to the PLUS mission. To describe and measure the spectrum of bladder health in diverse populations, researchers needed a valid and reliable instrument. Prior to the Validation of Bladder Health Instrument for Evaluation in Women (VIEW) study, the PLUS Consortium’s work on the design of a bladder health instrument was a culmination of expert opinion, information from focus groups, and incorporation of previously validated items and language where appropriate, along with cognitive interviews of participants from the general public. The VIEW study prospectively collected data to test and validate bladder health instrument (BHI) items for inclusion in a final bladder health scale (BHS) that assessed the full range of bladder health of women. The study collected data from the general population using mailed surveys, from the clinical population using surveys and in-person evaluations, and from postpartum women.
The primary objective of the VIEW study was to validate a novel bladder health instrument to measure the spectrum of bladder health from very healthy to very unhealthy in population-based and clinical research. Multi-item measurement was used to assess the range of bladder health dimensions as defined by the model of bladder health adopted by the PLUS Consortium. The items covered the range of bladder health dimensions specified by the model.
Construct validity of the bladder health scales and function indices was guided by a multitrait-multimethod approach using health and condition-specific questionnaires, bladder diaries, expert ratings of bladder health, and non-invasive bladder function testing.
The following were inclusion and exclusion criteria for the general population sample:
Inclusion criteria:
The following were the inclusion and exclusion criteria for the participants recruited from the clinical research centers:
Inclusion criteria:
Exclusion criteria:
The paper and electronic forms of the bladder health scales and function indices were reliable and valid measures of bladder health for use in non-postpartum women's health research.
Urologic Diseases
Observational
Urinary Bladder Disorder
Bladder Health Instrument, Bladder Health, Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms
KUH
Document Name | Description | Document Type | File Format |
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Dataset Name | Description | # of Records | # of Variables | File Format(s) |
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Clinic Forms Dataset | Captures data from clinic forms, including Participant Screening, Clinical Tests, Judge Initial Rating, Judge Second Rating, and 1-Day Bladder Diary Forms | csv (753.43 KB); sas7bdat (6 MB) | ||
Survey Forms Dataset | Captures data from survey forms, including BHI, BHI Retest, Participant Exit, Adverse Event, Protocol Deviation, and 2-Day Bladder Symptom Diary Forms | csv (3.57 MB); sas7bdat (9.11 MB) |