- The NBD is a self-report questionnaire designed to help healthcare professionals evaluate the effectiveness of their patient’s current bowel management routine by assessing the impact it has on the patient’s quality of life.
- Questions ask about background parameters (n=8), faecal incontinence (n=10), constipation (n=10), obstructed defecation (n=8), and impact on quality of life (QOL).
ICF Domain
Body Functions ▶ Digestive, Metabolic, and Endocrine.
Scoring
Total score: out of 47 (each item has a weighted response base).
Severity of bowel dysfunction:
- Score 0-6: Very minor.
- Score 7-9: Minor.
- Score 10-13: Moderate.
- Score 14+: Severe.
Equipment
None.
Number of Items
10 items.
Languages
English, Spanish, and Dutch.
Training
None.
Availability
Can be found here.
# of studies reporting psychometric properties: 5
Interpretability
MCID: not established in SCI.
SEM: not established in SCI.
MDC: Bowel subjects: 15.18 (SD ± 5.77), and Control subjects: 4.68 (SD ± 2.98).
(Kelly et al. 2017)
Reliability – Low to High
- Construct reliability of the NBD is High (α = 0.897)
- Test-retest reliability is High (ICC = 0.886 (0.764 – 0.946))
(González-Viejo et al. 2021
- Test-retest reliability of the NBD is High for each question (r=1.00).
- Internal consistency of the NBD is Moderate (α = 0.547).
- The consistency of frequency distribution of the NBD is High (r=1.00).
(Erdem et al. 2017)
- Internal consistency of the NBD is Low to Moderate (test: α = 0.56, retest: α = 0.30)
(Van Doorn et al. 2022)
Validity – Low to High
- There is High Spearman’s rank-order correlation for construct validity (rs = 0.943), the total NBD score & SF-36 vitality subscale (r = -0.626), the total NBD score & SF-36 social role functioning subscale (r = -0.741), the total NBD score & SF-36 emotional role functioning subscale (r = -0.604), and the change in total NBD score and change in Global Rating of Change scale at end of 2 months (r = 0.821).
- There is Low Correlation between total NBD score & SF-36 bodily pain subscale (r = -0.382), the total NBD score & SF-36 mental health subscale (r = -0.687).
- There is Moderate Correlation between total NBD score & SF-36 general health subscale (r = -0.560).
(Kelly et al. 2017; Erdem et al. 2017)
Responsiveness
No values were reported for the responsiveness of the NBD for the SCI population.
Floor/ceiling effect
No values were reported for the presence of floor/ceiling effects in the NBD for the SCI population.
Reviewers
Dr. Janice Eng, Dr. Carlos L. Cano-Herrera
Date Last Updated
31 December 2024.
Erdem D, Hava D, Keskinoğlu P, Bircan Ç, Peker Ö, Krogh K, Gülbahar S. Reliability, validity and sensitivity to change of neurogenic bowel dysfunction score in patients with spinal cord injury. Spinal Cord. 2017;55(12):1084-1087.
https://www.nature.com/articles/sc201782
González Viejo MÁ, Avellanet M, Montesinos Magraner L, Rojas Cuotto K, Launois Obregón P, Perrot Gonzalez JC. Spanish validation of the Neurogenic Bowel Dysfunction score -NBD score- in patients with central neurological injury. Med Clin (Barc). 2021 Oct 22;157(8):361-367. English, Spanish. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33039135/
Kelly MS, Thibadeau J, Struwe S, Ramen L, Ouyang L, Routh J. Evaluation of spina bifida transitional care practices in the United States. J Pediatr Rehabil Med. 2017;10(3-4):275-281.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5896760/
Krogh K, Christensen P, Sabroe S, Laurberg S. Neurogenic bowel dysfunction score. Spinal Cord. 2006; 44, 625–631.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16344850/
van Doorn T, Groenendijk IM, Scheepe JR, Blok BFM. Neurogenic bowel dysfunction score in spinal cord-injured patients: translation and validation of the Dutch-language NBD score. Spinal Cord. 2022 Mar;60(3):223-227. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34349233/
