Neurogenic Bowel Dysfunction (NBD) Score
Description: The NBD is a symptom-based score for neurogenic bowel dysfunction that takes into account both constipation and fecal incontinence, and weighs each symptom of NBD according to its impact on quality of life (QoL; in particular to social aspects). It is used for the clinical assessment of colorectal and anal dysfunction in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) [1].
Format: 10 items including questions about background parameters, fecal incontinence, constipation, obstructed defecation, and impact on QoL.
Scoring: Scores can range from 0 (very minor bowel dysfunction) to 47 (severe bowel dysfunction). Each item is assigned a score based on odds ratios for associations between items and impact on QoL.
Administration and Burden: Self-administered; Less than 5 minutes.
Psychometrics for SCI: The NBD score was constructed from items with acceptable reproducibility and validity that were significantly associated with impact on QoL [1].
Languages: The NBD has been translated into Danish, German, Italian, and Swedish, but these translations may not have undergone a full linguistic validation process and may require further work to be suitable for use.
QoL Concept: The NBD is a Health-Related QoL measure of Subjective Well-Being, which corresponds to Boxes C (achievements; health-related QoL), D (individual expectations and priorities), and E (subjective evaluations and reactions) of Dijker’s Model.
Permissions/Where to Obtain: Copyrighted; The NBD can be obtained from Dr. Krogh at the Aarhus University Hospital in Aarhus, Denmark.
**CLICK ON THE LISTED SECONDARY HEALTH CONDITIONS ON THE RIGHT TO READ HOW THE NBD SCORE HAS BEEN USED WITH A PARTICULAR CONDITION**
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