Male Erectile Dysfunction and Health-Related Quality of Life

The Journal of Urology, 2002

Purpose: Male erectile dysfunction has a substantial impact on health related quality of life. We examined the psychometric properties of 2 new scales created to measure the psychological impact of erectile dysfunction.

Urology, 1997

Objectives. To develop a brief, reliable, self-administered measure of erectile function that is cross-culturally valid and psychometrically sound, with the sensitivity and specificity for detecting treatment-related changes in patients with erectile dysfunction. Methods. Relevant domains of sexual function across various cultures were identified via a literature search of existing questionnaires and interviews of male patients with erectile dysfunction and of their partners. An initial questionnaire was administered to patients with erectile dysfunction, with results reviewed by an international panel of experts. Following linguistic validation in 10 languages, the final 15-item questionnaire, the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF), was examined for sensitivity, specificity, reliability (internal consistency and testretest repeatability), and construct (concurrent, convergent, and discriminant) validity. Results. A principal components analysis identified five factors (that is, erectile function, orgasmic function, sexual desire, intercourse satisfaction, and overall satisfaction) with eigenvalues greater than 1.0. A high degree of internal consistency was observed for each of the five domains and for the total scale (Cronbach's alpha values of 0.73 and higher and 0.91 and higher, respectively) in the populations studied. Test-retest repeatability correlation coefficients for the five domain scores were highly significant. The IIEF demonstrated adequate construct validity, and all five domains showed a high degree of sensitivity and specificity to the effects of treatment. Significant (P values -0.0001) changes between baseline and post-treatment scores were observed across all five domains in the treatment responder cohort, but not in the treatment nonresponder cohort. Conclusions. The IIEF addresses the relevant domains of male sexual function (that is, erectile function, orgasmic function, sexual desire, intercourse satisfaction, and overall satisfaction), is psychometrically sound, and has been linguistically validated in l 0 languages. This questionnaire is readily self-administered in research or clinical settings. The IIEF demonstrates the sensitivity and specificity for detecting treatment-related changes in patients with erectile dysfunction. UROLOGY 49: 822-830, 1997.

International Journal of Impotence Research, 2003

A French quality of life questionnaire specific to erectile dysfunction (ED), 'QVS' for 'Questionnaire de Vie Sexuelle', has been developed. This paper describes its validation: item reduction and reliability (internal consistency and reproducibility), construct validity and criterion validity (clinical, discriminant and concurrent). The initial 40-item questionnaire was administered once to 316 ED and 117 control subjects, and twice (D0 and D7) to 104 ED and 29 control subjects. Item reduction gave a 27-item questionnaire with three scales (Sexual Life, Skills and Psychosocial Wellbeing) and four scores (one score for each scale and a Global Index). Psychometric analyses demonstrated the reliability and the validity of the QVS. The questionnaire was able to discriminate patients according to the presence or severity of ED. The Skills scale was the least sensitive. Analysis of responsiveness to change over time still needs to be addressed to consider the questionnaire as a fully validated instrument.

Journal of Sexual Medicine, 2009

Introduction. Although erectile dysfunction (ED) is known to hamper quality of life (QoL) of afflicted men and their partners, there are few validated instruments for assessing the couple's sexual QoL. The Sexual Life Quality of Life Questionnaire (SLQQ) was developed in the United States for this purpose, and so it has been used in clinical studies. Yet, the original description did not address some important psychometric properties included in the Food and Drug Administration 2006 guidance for patient-reported outcome instruments. Aims. The aims of this study were to validate a Spanish language version of the modified SLQQ (mSLQQ), and to evaluate on it those psychometric properties lacking in the seminal description, namely discriminant validity and test-retest stability. Methods. Psychometric validation of the translated SLQQ was conducted on 164 ED patients and their sexual partners, and 60 age-matched non-dysfunctional couples. At baseline, all subjects completed the mSLQQ QoL and the 12-item Short-Form Health Survey questionnaires, and the men the International Index of Erectile Function. Two weeks later, ED patients abstaining from any ED medication and their partners repeated the mSLQQ QoL (104 valid couples). Oral medication for ED was then prescribed. Four weeks thereafter, they completed the QoL and treatment satisfaction scales of the SLQQ. Main Outcome Measures. The mSLQQ QoL scores of men and women at different times for psychometric analyses. Results. Cronbach a coefficients indicated good internal consistency. Large differences between control and ED couples, and close association with ED severity demonstrated discriminant and convergent validity, respectively. High intra-class correlation coefficients and similar mean scores at first and second visits substantiated test-retest stability. Significant increases after treatment with robust effect size demonstrated sensitivity to change in both patients and partners. Conclusions. This adaptation of the SLQQ shows psychometric properties comparable to the original description. The additional properties demonstrated here fully validate the mSLQQ as a tool for evaluating sexual QoL in ED patients and their partners. Gutiérrez P, Hernández P, Sanz E, Cardeñosa O, and Mas M. Further psychometric validation of the sexual life quality questionnaire for men with erectile dysfunction and their partners on a modified Spanish language version.

2009

Although erectile dysfunction (ED) is known to hamper quality of life (QoL) of afflicted men and their partners, there are few validated instruments for assessing the couple's sexual QoL. The Sexual Life Quality of Life Questionnaire (SLQQ) was developed in the United States for this purpose, and so it has been used in clinical studies. Yet, the original description did not address some important psychometric properties included in the Food and Drug Administration 2006 guidance for patient-reported outcome instruments. Aims. The aims of this study were to validate a Spanish language version of the modified SLQQ (mSLQQ), and to evaluate on it those psychometric properties lacking in the seminal description, namely discriminant validity and test-retest stability. Methods. Psychometric validation of the translated SLQQ was conducted on 164 ED patients and their sexual partners, and 60 age-matched non-dysfunctional couples. At baseline, all subjects completed the mSLQQ QoL and the 12-item Short-Form Health Survey questionnaires, and the men the International Index of Erectile Function. Two weeks later, ED patients abstaining from any ED medication and their partners repeated the mSLQQ QoL (104 valid couples). Oral medication for ED was then prescribed. Four weeks thereafter, they completed the QoL and treatment satisfaction scales of the SLQQ. Main Outcome Measures. The mSLQQ QoL scores of men and women at different times for psychometric analyses. Results. Cronbach a coefficients indicated good internal consistency. Large differences between control and ED couples, and close association with ED severity demonstrated discriminant and convergent validity, respectively. High intra-class correlation coefficients and similar mean scores at first and second visits substantiated test-retest stability. Significant increases after treatment with robust effect size demonstrated sensitivity to change in both patients and partners. Conclusions. This adaptation of the SLQQ shows psychometric properties comparable to the original description. The additional properties demonstrated here fully validate the mSLQQ as a tool for evaluating sexual QoL in ED patients and their partners. Gutiérrez P, Hernández P, Sanz E, Cardeñosa O, and Mas M. Further psychometric validation of the sexual life quality questionnaire for men with erectile dysfunction and their partners on a modified Spanish language version. J Sex Med 2009;6:2698-2706.

International Surgery Journal, 2019

Background: Normal sexual desire coupled with physical inability to act is a major source of mental stress in interpersonal relationships which subsequently affects the quality of life of patients.Methods: The present cross sectional study was conducted among patients of erectile dysfunction visiting the Urology OPD of tertiary care hospital. Study instruments used were international index of erectile function (IIEF) to assess sexual functions and version of the WHO QOL scale (WHOQOL-BREF) to assess quality of life.Results: 168 patients were interviewed and 62.5% of them were less than 45 years of age. Age, income and presence of co-morbidity were found to be statistically significantly associated with ED (p<0.05). Overall QOL scores were lower in severe grades of ED as compared to milder grades and this difference was found to be statistically significant (p<0.05).Conclusions: Erectile dysfunction has a significant impact on the quality of life of the patients which reemphasi...

Quality of Life Research, 2000

Purpose: To identify the important issues which have an impact on the quality of life (QoL) of men suffering from erectile dysfunction (ED) and to generate a new ED-specific QoL questionnaire ready to undergo further psychometric testing. Methods: QoL issues relating to ED were generated through in-depth qualitative interviews of 29 patients, literature review and consultation with other healthcare professionals. The issues were formulated into a questionnaire, which was piloted using 40 patients with ED and subsequently refined using well-established principles of questionnaire development. Results: The qualitative interviews revealed numerous psychosocial problems associated with ED, which were operationalised into a 40-item questionnaire. Pilot testing allowed the questionnaire to be reduced to a manageable 15-item final questionnaire while maintaining face and content validity and the potential to discriminate between men with varying degrees of affected QoL. This questionnaire had a Cronbach's a of 0.94. Conclusions: A new EDspecific QoL measure has been developed using appropriate methodology. Qualitative techniques identified a range of psychosocial morbidity in men with ED, leading to a simple but robust instrument with face and content validity. This questionnaire, Erectile Dysfunction -Effect on quality of life (ED-EQoL), has now undergone psychometric testing for validity and reliability.

2016

One important aspect that will determine the quality of human life is sex life. Therefore sexual activity may be used in the assessment of the quality of life. Erectile dysfunction (ED) is the inability to continuously achieve or maintain a penile erection quality so as to achieve a satisfying sexual relationship. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between ED and quality of life in the male elderly. A cross-sectional study was carried out on males aged 60 years and over in West Cilandak village, South Jakarta. The presence of ED was evaluated by means of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) and quality of life with the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the mean difference of QOL by erectile dysfunction category. The correlation between the total ED score and QOL was analyzed using the Pearson correlation analysis. Subjects included 199 elderly male patients, with mean age of 66.7 years (age...

Journal of Urology, 2001

Purpose: We determined the prevalence of and risks factors for erectile dysfunction in Spain in a cross-sectional study.

Urology, 2002