A DIGITAL TEST FOR PELVIC MUSCLE STRENGTH IN WOMEN WITH URINARY-INCONTINENCE

This article reports further experience with a Version 2 digital test performed on 208 community-residing women, 25 to 87 years old. Test-re test (n = 208) and interrater reliability (n = 36) scores for pressure , displacement and duration were r = .54, .51, and .53 and r = .67 .73 , and .55, respectively. Interrater reliability percentage agreement f igures were exact for 94% of the women on pressure and 67% on displace ment. With duration permitted to vary by 1 second, agreement was 75%. Validity was tested using vaginal electromyography scores with correla tion coefficients ranging from .37 to .63. A weak but significant corr elation was found between the digital score and the stand-up test pad gain (r = -.12). No significant relationship was found between the dig ital test and a history of being able to stop the urine stream or othe r leakage measures. To address limitations in Version 2, a third versi on of the digital scale is proposed.