The translation and validation of Chinese overactive bladder symptom score for assessing overactive bladder syndrome and response to solifenacin treatment.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Overactive bladder symptom score (OABSS) was developed by a Japanese urologist and is widely used in Asian countries. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a Chinese OABSS for assessing overactive bladder (OAB) and treatment outcome after solifenacin. METHODS: The Chinese OABSS was developed by linguistic validation of the original version. Its reliability and validity, and correlations with a three-day bladder diary were tested. Patients answered the Chinese OABSS at enrollment and repeated the questionnaire after a non-treatment period of 2 weeks, and at 4 and 12 weeks after solifenacin (5mg/day). Patients also completed a three-day bladder diary and forms including patient perception of bladder condition, International Prostatic Symptom Score and quality of life index at each study visit (for a total of four visits). An analysis was conducted to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Chinese OABSS and the correlations with a three-day bladder diary and a patient perception of bladder condition, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 60 patients with OAB, including 31 OAB wet and 29 OAB dry, were enrolled. The test-retest reliability of Chinese OABSS was moderate to good with weighted kappa coefficients of 0.515-0.721 for each symptom score and 0.610 for total symptom score. Forty-eight (80%) patients completed the responsiveness study and were followed-up at all time points. Patients' OAB symptoms improved significantly from baseline to 3 months after solifenacin treatment. The changes in OABSS decreased gradually with time within the three months of solifenacin treatment. CONCLUSION: The Chinese OABSS has been validated as a reliable instrument for assessing OAB. Solifenacin 5mg once daily improved urgency and other symptoms of OAB including frequency, urge incontinence, OABSS and International Prostatic Symptom Score. The adverse effects were acceptable and became less significant with time in the three months of treatment.

Development and validation of the Chinese Overactive Bladder Symptom Score for assessing overactive bladder syndrome in a RESORT study.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: This study aimed to develop and validate the Chinese Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OABSS) for assessing overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms and compare it with a 3-day bladder diary. METHODS: The Chinese OABSS was developed by linguistic validation of the original version. Its reliability and validity and correlations with a 3-day bladder diary were tested on patients with OAB in a multicenter study conducted in Taiwan (the RESORT study). RESULTS: A total of 60 patients with OAB, either incontinent (OAB wet, n=31) or continent (OAB dry, n=29), were enrolled consecutively in this study. The test-retest reliability of the Chinese OABSS was moderate to good, with weighted kappa coefficients of 0.515-0.721 for each symptom score and 0.610 for the total symptom score. Each symptom score correlated positively with the total OABSS (Spearman's rho 0.365-0.793) and was internally consistent (Cronbach's alpha 0.674). The distribution of the OABSS showed a clear separation between OAB wet (average 11.4, range 7-15) and OAB dry (average 7.97, range 4-10) subgroups (Wilcoxon exact test, p<0.05). In addition, the OABSS items correlated positively with the corresponding bladder diary variables (Spearman's rho 0.504-0.879) and the degrees of agreement improved with study visits except for nighttime frequency. The Chinese OABSS tended to underestimate the frequency of nighttime voiding. CONCLUSION: The Chinese OABSS has been developed and validated as a reliable instrument for assessing OAB symptoms. OABSS can be an alternative to, but not a replacement for, a 3-day bladder diary for assessing patients.