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Body Image disturbance in patients with cancer

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 2022

A. Guermazi*
Affiliation:
Hedi Chaker University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia, Department Of Psychiatry A, Sfax, Tunisia
S. Hentati
Affiliation:
Hedi Chaker University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia, Department Of Psychiatry A, Sfax, Tunisia
F. Guermazi
Affiliation:
Hedi Chaker University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia, Department Of Psychiatry A, Sfax, Tunisia
R. Masmoudi
Affiliation:
Hedi Chaker University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia, Department Of Psychiatry A, Sfax, Tunisia
I. Baati
Affiliation:
Hedi Chaker University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia, Department Of Psychiatry A, Sfax, Tunisia
I. Feki
Affiliation:
Hedi Chaker University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia, Department Of Psychiatry A, Sfax, Tunisia
J. Masmoudi
Affiliation:
Hedi Chaker University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia, Department Of Psychiatry A, Sfax, Tunisia
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

Cancer and its treatments have been shown to have a negative psychological effect on many cancer patients. One of these effects is often described as body image disturbance.

Objectives

To assess body image in cancer patients and its association with clinical variables.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study, conducted over 1 month, involving 100 cancer patients followed in the oncology department at the Habib Bourguiba University Hospital in Sfax (Tunisia). All participants completed a 10-item Body Image Scale (BIS) questionnaire to assess body image dissatisfaction.

Results

These results showed that half of the patients were female, and 70% of them were married. Their mean age was 51.96 years with extremes ranging from 41 to 60 years. Their level of education did not exceed primary school in 61% of cases, and 68% of them were unemployed. A total of 58% of patients received chemotherapy and 44%, 25%, and 11% of persons were affected by breast, digestive and cavum cancer, respectively. Impaired body image was noted in 81% of cases with an average BIS score of 15.39. An altered body image was statistically correlated with female sex (p = 0.005), absence of professional activity (p = 0.032), and the presence of anxiety-depressive symptoms (p = 0.008).

Conclusions

In this study most of the cancer patients had body image disturbances. Therefore, it is to the health team and nurses that take the concept of body image more serious and make use of some interventions to minimize the possible side effects.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Type
Abstract
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
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