Keywords: Urinary incontinence; International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, quality of life; functioning; health status
Objective: Understanding the content of quality of life questionnaires assists to choose the most appropriate instrument for evaluating women with urinary incontinence. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) can be used as a standardized method of comparing these instruments, providing an unified language for the obtained information. Thus, this study aimed to link the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire (ICIQ-SF); King's Health Questionnaire (KHQ); Incontinence Quality of Life Questionnaire (IQoL) and Bristol Female Urinary Tract Symptoms Questionnaire (BFLUTS) questionnaires with the ICF. Methods: Linking the questionnaires content and the ICF was performed using the method described by Cieza and colleagues. Results: The questionnaires included 48 ICF categories, 49% were from activities and participation component (d) and 36.8% from body functions (b). Conclusion: The scales are linked with the ICF at different levels. ICIQ-SF was the most limited instrument. BFLUTS and IQoL presented greater agreement with the ICF, but the concepts in their items are mostly linked to body function, denoting a biomedical vision. The KHQ demonstrated greater affinity with the ICF, and most concepts were related to the activities and participation categories, approaching more effectively the biopsychosocial model on which the Classification is based.