Intrinsic Motivation Inventory: Translation and validation in Chinese women with urinary incontinence

Abstract

Female stress urinary incontinence can be treated through surgical, pharmacological and non-surgical approaches. The behavioural intervention such as pelvic floor muscle exercise in the treatment of stress urinary incontinence had been widely studied with a cure rate from 25% to 56%. To date, there is no instrument to measure the intrinsic motivation of Chinese women with stress urinary incontinence engaged in pelvic floor muscle exercise. The aim of the study is to translate the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) into Chinese and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Chinese version. Hong Kong Chinese women (n = 150) attending the pelvic floor muscle exercise programme participated in this study. Test–retest reliability and validity of the C-IMI was assessed. Correlation between the C-IMI and the Chinese version of the Rosenberg self-esteem (C-RES) was used for criterion validity. Construct validity was examined using factor analysis. Cronbach alpha for the IMI-C was 0·79 and test–retest reliability was 0·66. C-IMI was correlated with C-RES score (r = 0·25, < 0·01). The factor analysis provided five factors and accounted for 60·8% of variance. The C-IMI could be used to help to identify people with low motivation related to adherence to pelvic floor muscle exercise, monitor intervention outcomes and improve exercise behaviour of patients not only with urinary incontinence but also in other patients who require exercise regime as a health-promotion intervention such those undergoing cardiac rehabilitation.