Validation of a self-reported work disability questionnaire for ulcerative colitis.

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Occupational Health
• Clinical Research

Background:

• Ulcerative colitis (UC) significantly impacts patients' ability to work.
• A Work Disability Questionnaire (WDQ) was previously validated for Crohn disease.
• UC shares clinical similarities with Crohn disease, suggesting potential WDQ applicability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate the Work Disability Questionnaire (WDQ) for assessing work disability in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC).
• To determine if the WDQ is a reliable and valid instrument for UC patients.

Main Methods:

• Consecutive UC patients (n=142) completed the UC-WDQ, IBDQ-9, and EuroQoL-5D.
• Validation included construct validity (discriminant, convergent) and reproducibility (test-retest).
• Intraclass correlation and Cronbach's alpha were calculated to assess reliability.

Main Results:

• The UC-WDQ demonstrated good construct validity.
• The questionnaire showed high reliability, with acceptable intraclass correlation and Cronbach's alpha.
• The study confirmed the UC-WDQ as a suitable tool for measuring work disability in UC.

Conclusions:

• The UC-WDQ is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring work disability in patients with ulcerative colitis.
• This validated questionnaire can aid in assessing the occupational impact of UC.
• The findings support the use of the UC-WDQ in clinical practice and research for UC patients.