The urgency perception score: validation and test-retest.

PURPOSE: We validate a grading system for urinary urgency.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 225 subjects participated in a validation study of a fixed format question that examined the reasons why an individual usually voids. The response comprised 5 graded categories. The written questionnaire was completed by the subject twice in 3 to 14 days, during which there was no change in symptoms. Subjects included asymptomatic normal volunteers and consecutive patients with lower urinary tract symptoms without urinary urgency and those with overactive bladder with or without other lower urinary tract symptoms. Content validity was established by an expert panel. Discriminant validity was assessed by examining the frequency of responses in the various categories across the 3 groups (chi-square test) and by comparing average scores in each of the 3 groups using 1-way ANOVA, followed by LSD post hoc tests. Test-retest reliability was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient and kappa coefficient.
RESULTS: A total of 83 normal subjects, 62 patients with lower urinary tract symptoms and 80 patients with overactive bladder were included in the study. Median age was 71 years (range 21 to 97). For test-retest reliability the intraclass correlation coefficient (0.86) and kappa coefficient (0.68) indicated a good level of agreement (p <0.001). The overactive bladder group achieved a significantly higher score than the normal and lower urinary tract symptoms groups (mean +/- SD 2.5 +/- 0.99 vs 1.6 +/- 0.93 and 1.8 +/- 0.93, respectively, each p <0.001).
CONCLUSIONS: The urgency perception score appears to be a valid and reliable means of grading urinary urgency. We believe that this method of grading urgency will prove to be more clinically useful than the simple yes/no characterization of urgency as a sudden compelling desire to void and it will be a useful item for questionnaires and diary keeping.