Endometriosis Research Advances with Development of Standardized Questionnaire

Strategic Insights -

A new study published in the International Journal of Fertility and Sterility has made significant progress in facilitating international research on endometriosis by developing a standardized questionnaire. The World Endometriosis Research Foundation (WERF) Endometriosis Phenome and BiobankingHarmonisation Project (EPHect) aims to develop a questionnaire that can be used across different cultures and languages to ensure that future studies can be conducted with consistency and reliability.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study translated and validated the Persian version of the endometriosis patient questionnaire (EPQ) to ensure cultural compatibility and reliability for future studies in the region.
  • The questionnaire was evaluated by six experts in the relevant fields for content validity, and by seven participants for face validity.
  • The study found that the Persian version of the WERF-EPHect questionnaire is both valid and reliable, with cultural relevance.
  • The study suggests that additional validation studies conducted in various languages will help eliminate language and cultural disparities, facilitating collaborative, large-scale, prospective international research on endometriosis.
  • The study involved 30 patients diagnosed with endometriosis who completed the questionnaire on two separate occasions, with a repeatability analysis using Kappa statistics.
  • The study found that the translated questionnaire was administered to 30 patients diagnosed with endometriosis, with an average completion time of 55 minutes.
  • The research aims to facilitate international research on endometriosis by developing a standardized questionnaire that can be used across different cultures and languages.

Statistics:

  • 37 women aged between 18 and 45 years were evaluated for endometriosis through diagnostic sonography or laparoscopy, or were suffering from symptoms such as dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, pelvic pain not associated with menstruation lasting more than six months.
  • 50% of the patients who completed the questionnaire were female.
  • The questionnaires were completed by 30 patients diagnosed with endometriosis, with an average completion time of 55 minutes.
  • The repeatability of each question was analyzed using Kappa statistics, and the results showed a high level of agreement between the two administrations.

Sources:

  • The Translation and Cross-Cultural Adaptation of The Persian Version of The WERF EPHect Endometriosis Patient Questionnaire: A Cross-Sectional Study. International Journal of Fertility and Sterility, 2025, 19(4):394-401.
  • Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, Tehran, Iran
  • ACECR, Tehran, Iran