Comparison between visual prostate symptom score and international prostate symptom score in males older than 40 years in rural Indonesia

Abstract

PurposeTo evaluate the effect of education and literacy status on completion of the Visual Prostate Symptom Score (VPSS) and the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) in males aged over 40 years in a rural Indonesian area.MethodsWe enrolled 103 men who had visited Tc-Hillers Maumere Hospital. Four questions related to frequency, nocturia, weak stream, and quality of life (QoL) were presented by pictogram in the VPSS. Data on age, educational level, and literacy status were analyzed to determine associations with the capability to complete the IPSS and the VPSS questionnaires. Correlation test was used to identify correlation between the VPSS and the IPSS.ResultsThe median age of the 103 respondents was 60 years. A total of 69 patients (67.0%) were able to read, 99 patients (96.1%) understood the Indonesian language, and 52 patients (50.5%) had an education grade>9. The IPSS was completed without assistance by 55 patients (53.4%) and the VPSS by 82 patients (79.6%). None of the patients who could not read could complete the IPSS without assistance, whereas 15 patients (44.1%) who could not read could complete the VPSS without assistance (P<0.001). In the analysis of education level, 40 of 51 patients (78.4%) with an education grade≤9 required assistance to complete the IPSS compared with 8 of 52 patients (15.4%) with an education grade>9 (P>0.001). In the same groups, 19 of 51 patients (37.3%) compared with 2 of 52 patients (3.8%) required assistance to complete the VPSS (P<0.001). Total VPSS, VPSS obstructive symptoms, VPSS irritative symptoms, and VPSS QoL scores significantly correlated with the total IPSS, IPSS obstructive symptoms, IPSS irritative symptoms, and IPSS QoL, respectively (correlation coefficient, P-value: 0.675, <0.001; 0.503, <0.001; 0.731, <0.001; and 0.823, <0.001, respectively).ConclusionsThe VPSS correlated significantly with the IPSS and could be completed without assistance by a greater proportion of men with low levels of education. The VPSS might be useful in evaluating men with lower urinary tract symptoms in rural Indonesian areas with a high level of illiteracy and low level of education.

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“…Construction of the intuitive visual analog scale ( VAS ) - based questionnaires are much preferable as such questionnaires have no significant differences with those, text-based, like IPSS [ 137 ].…”

Value of the visual prostate symptom score in evaluation of symptomatic benign prostatic enlargement: prospective study in a Nigerian population

“…The magnitude of the correlations in this study is similar to that reported by van der Walt et al (r = 0.64, p<0.001) and Afriansyah et al (r = +0.675, p <0.001). 11,17 The statistically significant positive correlations between the total scores and the QoL scores reported in this study was stronger for the VPSS (r = +0.898) than the IPSS (r = +0.589) probably because more patients were able to complete the VPSS without physician assistance thereby minimizing bias. These findings indicate that the VPSS can be reliably used in place of the IPSS to subjectively assess the severity of LUTS in men with symptomatic BPE.…”

Evaluation of ‘Visual prostate symptom score’ in men with benign enlargement of prostate in a tertiary care center in midwestern Nepal

“…The results are consistent with the study done by van der walt and others. [13][14][15][16] Another study comparing IPSS and VPSS in patients with urethral stricture disease also shows similar positive correlation. Similarly, specific questions of IPSS related to frequency, nocturia and weak stream have also been positively correlated with the respective components in VPSS.…”

“…13 This is easy to use and comprehend even by patients with lower education level. [14][15][16] It is simple, easily completed without assistance and less time taking.…”