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The BODY-Q: A Patient-Reported Outcome Instrument for Weight Loss and Body Contouring Treatments
Anne F Klassen1, Stefan J Cano1, Amy Alderman1
1Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Modus Outcome, Letchworth Garden City, UK; Swan Center for Plastic Surgery, Alpharetta, Ga.; Plastic and Reconstructive Department, St Georges Hospital NHS Trust, Tooting, London, United Kingdom; Department of Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Temple Medical, Aberdeen, Scotland; School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Women's College Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; and Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, N.Y.
Background:
Body contouring performed for cosmetic purposes, or after weight loss, has the potential to improve body image and health-related quality of life (HRQL). The BODY-Q is a new patient-reported outcome (PRO) instrument designed to measure patient perceptions of weight loss and/or body contouring. In this article, we describe the psychometric properties of the BODY-Q scales after an international field-test.
Methods:
Weight loss and body contouring patients from Canada, United States, and United Kingdom were recruited between November 2013 and February 2015. Data were collected using an iPad directly into a web-based application or a questionnaire booklet. Rasch measurement theory analysis was used for item reduction and to examine reliability, validity, and ability to detect change.
Results:
The sample included 403 weight loss and 331 body contouring patients. Most BODY-Q items had ordered thresholds (134/138) and good item fit. Scale reliability was acceptable, ie, Person separation index >0.70 for 16 scales, Cronbach α ≥0.90 for 18 of 18 scales, and Test-retest ≥0.87 for 17 of 18 scales. Appearance and HRQL scores were lower in participants with more obesity-related symptoms, higher body mass index, and more excess skin and in those pre- versus postoperative body contouring. The 134 weight loss patients who completed the BODY-Q twice, either 6 weeks (weight loss/nonsurgical body contouring program) or 6 months (bariatric program) later, improved significantly on 7 appearance and 4 HRQL scales.
Conclusion:
The BODY-Q is a clinically meaningful and scientifically sound patient-reported outcome instrument that can be used to measure outcomes in patients who undergo weight loss and/or body contouring.
