French version of the short form of the Neurogenic Bladder Symptom Score: Cross-cultural adaptation and validation

This study aimed to empirically validate a French version of the Neurogenic Bladder Symptoms Score-Short From (NBSS-SF), a psychometric multidimensional tool to assess lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) for patients with a neurological condition.

One hundred and five participants with multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injury prospectively completed the questionnaire at baseline and 7-14 days later. The α coefficient of Cronbach (internal consistency) and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) (test-retest reliability) were calculated.

The internal consistency for the overall questionnaire was high (Cronbach's α coefficients from 0.79), while coefficients for each subscale were variable (urinary incontinence 0.91; storage and voiding 0.69; consequences 0.25). For test-retest reliability, 88/105 (84%) patients filled and sent back their questionnaire 10 days (±3.6 days) after baseline version. ICC was 0.90 for the total score and was 0.73 for the urinary incontinence subdomain, 0.79 for storage and voiding, and 0.75 for consequences.

The psychometric qualities of the French version of the NBSS-SF are well-supported, thus providing a valid tool to measure bladder symptoms across three different domains in patients with neurogenic bladder.