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Factors influencing body image in posttreatment oral cavity cancer patients
Author(s) -
Chang YaLan,
Huang BingShen,
Hung TsungMin,
Lin ChienYu,
Chen ShuChing
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
psycho‐oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.41
H-Index - 137
eISSN - 1099-1611
pISSN - 1057-9249
DOI - 10.1002/pon.5067
Subject(s) - hospital anxiety and depression scale , anxiety , attractiveness , quality of life (healthcare) , medicine , depression (economics) , outpatient clinic , clinical psychology , psychology , body mass index , psychiatry , nursing , psychoanalysis , economics , macroeconomics
Objective The purpose of this study of posttreatment oral cavity cancer (OCC) patients was to identify factors associated with self‐reported overall body image, perceived attractiveness, and dissatisfaction with body appearance. Methods This cross‐sectional study recruited patients with OCC from the outpatient radiation department of a single cancer center in Northern Taiwan. Demographic and clinical characteristics were recorded, and patients were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS), the University of Washington Quality of Life Scale (UW‐QOL), and the Body Image Scale (BIS). Results A total of 168 patients were included in this current study, 76 females and 92 males. Negative overall body image was associated with greater degree of depression, greater fear of social interactions, poorer social‐emotional function, receipt of surgery, female gender, and greater avoidance of social interaction; these factors explained 49.0% of the variance in this outcome measure. Poor perceived attractiveness was associated with greater depression, greater fear of social interaction, and receipt of surgery; these factors explained 25.4% of the variance in this outcome measure. Dissatisfaction with body appearance was associated with poor social‐emotional function, greater fear of social interaction, receipt of reconstruction, advanced cancer stage, and female gender; these factors explained 52.2% of the variance in this outcome measure. Conclusions This study of posttreatment OCC patients indicated that depression and fear of social interaction strongly influenced overall body image, perceived attractiveness, and dissatisfaction with body appearance.