Translation and validation of the Finnish version of the Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life Scale

The Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life Scale (FIQL) is a health-related questionnaire that measures the quality of life among patients with fecal incontinence. This questionnaire comprises 29 items divided into four subscales: Lifestyle, Coping/Behavior, Depression/Self-Perception, and Embarrassment. The aim of the study was to validate the FIQL questionnaire in the Finnish language.

A multiphase validation method was used consisting of a two-panel translation process followed by a psychometric evaluation process. The validation process was used to ensure the consistency and quality of the questionnaire through the test-retest process. The internal consistency between the four subscales was measured with Cronbach's alpha, and the stability over time was assessed by intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) analysis. Spearman's correlations were used to examine the construct validity.

A total of 82 patients with fecal incontinence and 10 reference participants were included in this study. The results for Finnish FIQL indicated that all four subscales had good internal consistency, except for the embarrassment subscale, which had a slightly lower Cronbach's alpha value for the test (0.68). Between subscales, ICC ranged from 0.83 to 0.90, indicating almost perfect stability over time. Correlations were moderate between the FIQL and the severity of fecal incontinence.

The Finnish version of the FIQL has been successfully validated and shown to be feasible. The questionnaire can be used for both research and clinical purposes in Finnish patients with fecal incontinence.