DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF THE URINARY INCONTINENCE KINESIOPHOBIA SEVERITY SCALE

This methodological study aims to develop and evaluate the validity and reliability of the Kinesiophobia Severity Scale in Urinary Incontinence (KSS-UI), a novel Turkish-language self-report instrument designed to assess fear of movement and movement avoidance associated with concerns about urinary leakage.

The study will include individuals with urinary incontinence, including stress, urgency, and mixed urinary incontinence. Participants will be recruited exclusively from individuals reporting urinary incontinence among relatives of patients attending the Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Center. Individuals who meet the eligibility criteria and voluntarily agree to participate will be enrolled in the study. Written informed consent will be obtained from all participants before data collection.

Initially, an item pool was developed through a comprehensive literature review, semi-structured interviews with 15-20 individuals with urinary incontinence, and recommendations from experts in relevant clinical disciplines. Following ethical approval, the items will undergo content validity assessment by a multidisciplinary panel of at least 10 experts. Item relevance, clarity, simplicity, and necessity will be evaluated using the Content Validity Ratio (CVR), Content Validity Index (CVI), and modified kappa statistics.

Subsequently, face validity and comprehensibility will be assessed through cognitive interviews with 8-12 individuals. Items will be revised based on participant feedback. Pilot testing will be conducted to examine item distributions, floor and ceiling effects, corrected item-total correlations, internal consistency, and item discrimination.

Following these preliminary evaluations, the revised scale will be administered to eligible participants during a single assessment session. Questionnaire completion is expected to take approximately 15-20 minutes.

Psychometric analyses will be performed to evaluate the validity and reliability of the scale. Based on the findings, the final scale will be established, and a scoring and interpretation guide will be developed.

The study is expected to provide a valid and reliable instrument for assessing urinary incontinence-related kinesiophobia and contribute to the evaluation of movement-related fear and avoidance behaviors in individuals with urinary incontinence.

Inclusion criteria

• Being 18 years of age or older
• Reporting symptoms of incontinence at least once a week for the past 3 months (ICIQ-SF score ≥ 1)
• Having the ability to read and comprehend Turkish
• Having been informed about the study and provided written informed consent

Exclusion criteria

• Having an active lower urinary tract infection
• Inability to complete the scales independently due to cognitive impairment, advanced dementia, or limited literacy
• Individuals who refuse to participate in the study or do not sign the informed consent form