Cultural translation of the constipation assessment a study on the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the constipation severity index.

BACKGROUND

Assessing the severity of constipation in patients is important for tailoring treatment plans and monitoring outcomes. However, validated assessment tools for constipation severity are limited in China.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Constipation Severity Index (CSI).

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in two tertiary hospitals in China. A total of 621 patients meeting the diagnostic criteria for constipation were enrolled. The scale's reliability and validity were assessed using Content Validity Index (CVI), Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), internal consistency, and test-retest reliability.

RESULTS

The expert-rated Item-level Content Validity Index (I-CVI) was 0.90. EFA revealed a three-factor structure comprising 16 items, accounting for 71.81% of the total variance. CFA results suggested acceptable model fit (χ2 = 257.711, df = 96,  < 0.001; CFI = 0.965; TLI = 0.956; RMSEA = 0.074, 90% CI: 0.063-0.085; SRMR = 0.047). The scale demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.936, McDonald's Omega = 0.937).

CONCLUSION

This study provides preliminary evidence for the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the CSI. While the initial results are promising, further research is needed to validate its applicability in various clinical settings and patient populations. The CSI may potentially serve as a useful tool for assessing constipation severity in Chinese patients, but additional validation studies are necessary before its widespread clinical application.