SEARCH · PubMed Health
Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
We show that there is a body image of an internal organ--the brain. Using questionnaires and drawings to compare three groups--healthy subjects, acutely ill and chronic patients (with a brain disease)--we demonstrate that there is constant body image, which is very little influenced by brain disease.
A wide range of cancer problems (e.g. tumour, treatment and treatment delivery systems) cause alterations in body image for patients. Individuals' sense of self-worth is bound up with appearance, function and control of their bodies. This value system is developed through the process of socialization and the advertising in the fashion industries. Nurses must consider the value system that patients employ and the way in which they value different aspects of their bodies. Nurses cannot make effective care contributions to the problems of altered body image during the immediate acute phase of illness. It is at a later stage, normally at discharge, that patients experience a reaction to their altered body image.
Development of the Body Image Concern Inventory (BICI), a measure designed to assess dysmorphic concern, is described. A panel of expert raters supported the construct validity of the measure, and four college student samples (Ns=184, 200, 56, 40) supported the internal consistency of the BICI. In addition, in studies 1 and 3, concurrent validity was established through comparison of the BICI to extant self-report and interview measures of dysmorphic symptomatology. Convergent validity patterns were assessed through comparison with measures of obsessive-compulsive and eating disorder symptomatology in studies 2 and 4. Finally, the results of study 4 supported that the BICI discriminated individuals with a diagnosis of Body Dysmorphic Disorder or bulimia (disorders that frequently involve high levels of dysmorphic concern) from those with subclinical symptoms. Results suggest that the BICI is a reliable, valid, and user-friendly tool for assessing dysmorphic concern, with utility in both research and clinical settings.
The present study investigated the reliability and accuracy of the Body-image Distortion Questionnaire, a paper-and-pencil self-report measure. Forty male and 41 female college students completed the questionnaire on each of two occasions 21 days apart. During the second session, height, weight, and body build were measured. Results indicated that the questionnaire is a reliable and accurate measure of body-image distortion.
Fat distribution alterations and lipodystrophy occur as part of a broad spectrum of body alterations in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Recent advances in HIV therapies, including highly active antiretroviral therapy, contribute to these fat distribution alterations. The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate the relationships of weight change, body image, length of time with HIV/AIDS diagnosis, and quality of life in HIV disease. The sample consisted of 23 men with mean age of 42.2 years (SD = 8.2) and 17 women with mean age of 36.8 years (SD = 5.2). Participants reported a net increase in weight from 3 months prior (M = 2.4 lb, SD = 12.9 lb) and 12 months prior (M = 10.9 lb, SD = 19.1 lb). They also reported that their weight was greater than their ideal weight (M = 9.2 lb, SD = 22.9 lb). Body image scores (0-100 scale) were found to be significantly (F((1, 37)) = 5.41, p = .03) higher for women (73.1 +/- 17.0) compared with men (60.2 +/- 17.0). Although HIV-positive participants had slightly higher body image scores (M = 68.0, SD = 17.0) compared with participants with AIDS (M = 60.5, SD = 18.8), there was no significant difference (F((1, 37)) = 1.56, p = .22) in body image scores between those with HIV and those with AIDS. Finally, weight change was related to three scales of the Medical Outcomes Study-HIV: mental health (r = .42, p = .03), vitality (r = .53, p = .006), and quality of life (r = .45, p = .02) for men. There were no significant correlations between weight change and quality of life domains for women. Education of clinicians and individuals living with HIV/AIDS should focus on the assessment, management, and evaluation of weight change during the course of HIV disease.
BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic donor nephrectomy (LDN) is thought to result in a better cosmetic outcome for the altruistic healthy donor than open donor nephrectomy (ODN). To the authors' knowledge, no studies have established the opinion of donors with respect to their bodily appearance. This study investigates the body image of donors after ODN and LDN. METHODS: Donors who underwent surgery between 1994 and 2001 were invited to fill out a body image questionnaire. This questionnaire consists of two subscales: the body image scale (BIS) and the cosmetic scale (CS). A total of 56 LDN subjects and 69 ODN subjects responded to the questionnaire (72% of 174 donors). RESULTS: Both groups were comparable in terms of gender, current age, and body mass index (BMI). The time from donation until the time of this study (follow-up assessment) was significantly longer for the ODN groups. The BIS and CS were found to be comparable between the two groups. No associations were found between BIS or CS and follow-up duration. There also was no association between BIS or CS and gender, age and BMI. CONCLUSIONS: The body image ratings of donors do not significantly differ after ODN or LDN.
Abdominoplasty is an increasingly common aesthetic surgery procedure that has yet to be evaluated using the most recently developed and psychometrically sophisticated measures of body image and quality-of-life outcomes. This study prospectively evaluated 30 consecutive female abdominoplasty patients, preoperatively and postoperatively, using measures of body image, psychological investment in appearance, and general psychosocial functioning. One-way repeated-measures (pretest versus posttest) analyses of variance revealed significant positive postsurgical changes on the Appearance Evaluation subscale of the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire. Mean scores for the questionnaire's Body Areas Satisfaction Scale improved postoperatively (p < 0.001). Scores for the Body Exposure and Sexual Relations Questionnaire also improved significantly (p < 0.001) postoperatively. These findings indicate significant improvements in body image outcome, including positive changes in patients' evaluations of their overall appearance, their average body image dissatisfaction, and their experiences of self-consciousness and avoidance of body exposure during sexual activities. As predicted, no changes were seen on any measure of psychological investment in appearance or on patients' reports of general psychosocial functioning (self-esteem, satisfaction with life, or social anxiety).
This study tested whether body image, eating, and affective disturbances prospectively predicted onset of cigarette smoking in adolescent girls (N = 496). Elevated body dissatisfaction and eating pathology, as well as elevated negative affectivity, showed significant univariate relations to subsequent onset of smoking. In the multivariate model, the effect for body image and eating disturbances remained significant, but the effect for negative affectivity did not. Results support the theory that body image and eating disturbances markedly increase risk for smoking initiation in adolescent girls and further establish the clinical significance of these disturbances. Results also support the theory that negative affect is a risk factor for smoking initiation but suggest that the self-medication model may have less predictive power than previously concluded.
Splitting of the body image was illustrated as a somesthetic aura symptom in three of the 562 entries to the national Migraine Art competitions, confirming previous descriptions of this rare phenomenon in the migraine literature. In this type of self-experienced paroxysmal body schema disturbance, the own body is perceived as being split, usually in the mid-line, into two halves that may be displaced or separated from each other. Splitting of the body image most frequently applies to the migraine sufferer's head. The said phenomenon, the pathomechanisms of which are obscure, must not be confused with the visual illusion of illusory splitting.
Obese individuals with binge eating disorder (BED) differ from obese non-binge eating (NBE) individuals in a number of clinically relevant ways. This study examined attitudinal responses to various measures of body image in women seeking obesity treatment, by comparing NBE participants (n = 80) to those with BED (n = 48). It was hypothesized that women with BED would demonstrate greater attitudinal disturbance of body image compared to NBE individuals. It was further hypothesized that significant differences between groups would remain after statistically controlling for degree of depression. Consistent with the primary hypothesis, BED participants reported significantly increased attitudinal disturbance in body dissatisfaction and size perception compared to NBE participants. Although shared variance was observed between measures of depression and body image on some items, several aspects of increased body image disturbance remained after statistically controlling for depression. Treatment implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) was compared to a combination of aerobic/anaerobic exercise therapy (ET) for the treatment of elevated levels of body image disturbance in college females. CBT consisted of a modification of the 1987 Butters and Cash procedure that was tailored for group intervention; ET consisted of weightlifting and aerobic dancing. Using a counterbalancing procedure, the same therapists conducted both 6-week interventions, which were compared to a nontreated control group. Results revealed equivalent reductions for both treatment groups when compared to controls on measures of body image disturbance reflective of trait and state body weight anxiety, cognitive-behavioral aspects of appearance, and overall body dissatisfaction. Unfortunately, few subjects were available for follow-up analyses, preventing an evaluation of the stability of changes. The findings are discussed with regard to the potential role of fitness training as an adjunct to cognitive-behavioral interventions for body image disturbance.
BACKGROUND: The impact of various medical and demographic factors on the quality of life (QoL) of breast cancer patients has been discussed controversially. We investigated the influence of six different factors on long-term QoL and body image of women with primary breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Two-hundred and seventy-four breast cancer patients were administered the QoL questionnaire following a mean interval of 4.2 years after primary diagnosis. All women had been primarily treated for stage I to III breast cancer without evidence of distant metastases. QoL was evaluated by using the QLQ-C30 questionnaire Version 2.0. Supplementary scales included body image, satisfaction with surgical treatment, cosmetic result and fear of recurrence. We analyzed the impact of tumor stage, surgical treatment, adjuvant radiotherapy, adjuvant cytotoxic therapy, age and length of follow-up period on the examined outcome parameters. RESULTS: At the time of the follow-up examination, patients showed minor impairment of QoL (mean 67.8) and body image (mean 24.8), but more fear of recurrence (mean 60.7). None of the studied factors had a significant impact on overall QoL (P >0.05) according to the QLQ-C30 questionnaire. In contrast, with the exception of the factors 'cytotoxic therapy' and 'radiotherapy' all investigated variables influenced at least one of the additional psychological scales (P <0.05). The primary surgical treatment modality had the strongest impact and affected all four scales. Patients treated with breast conservation reported a more favorable body image, compared to those treated with mastectomy (17.2 versus 37.5, P <0.01), more satisfaction with surgical treatment (4.0 versus 10.7, P = 0.01), rated a better cosmetic result (75.5 versus 57.1, P <0.01), but presented more fear of recurrence (63.9 versus 55.3, P = 0.04). CONCLUSION: Current QoL questionnaires do not sufficiently cover all relevant aspects of QoL, but might be complemented by breast cancer specific aspects such as body image and fear.
PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess the functional outcome and the quality of life of laparoscopic-assisted ileal pouch-anal anastomosis compared with conventional ileal pouch-anal anastomosis. Further, body image and cosmesis were evaluated in both groups. METHODS: Sixteen patients who underwent a laparoscopic-assisted ileal pouch-anal anastomosis between March 1996 and September 1999 were matched with 19 patients who had a conventional ileal pouch-anal anastomosis. Patients were matched for the time period after surgery, distribution of familial adenomatous polyposis/ulcerative colitis, and one/two-stage procedure. Thirty-two patients agreed to fill out a set of questionnaires that assessed functional outcome, quality of life, body image, and cosmesis. Quality of life was measured with the Short Form 36 Health Survey questionnaire and the Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index. The Body Image Questionnaire was used to measure patients' perceptions of and satisfaction with their own body and their attitude toward their bodily appearance (body image) and the degree of satisfaction of patients with respect to the physical appearance of the scar (cosmesis). RESULTS: Patients in the conventional group were older than patients in the laparoscopic-assisted group (mean 39.2 +/- 8.4 vs. 30.6 +/- 7.1 years; P < 0.01). No differences were found in functional outcome and quality of life. Satisfaction with the cosmetic result of the scar was significantly higher in the laparoscopic-assisted group compared with the conventional group. Body image score was higher in the laparoscopic-assisted group when compared with the conventional group, although not significant. CONCLUSIONS: The functional outcome and quality of life of laparoscopic-assisted ileal pouch-anal anastomosis is not different from conventional ileal pouch-anal anastomosis. In the long-term, better cosmesis is the most important advantage after laparoscopic surgery.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine (1) how African-American and white men and women from similar low income communities perceive their body mass relative to others in the population; and (2) whether ethnic and gender differences exist in the selection of ideal body image sizes for the same and opposite sex. DESIGN: A street survey of African-American and white men and women was conducted using a census tract sampling schema. Participants (N = 927) were interviewed and asked to provide their height and weight and to select body size images from a standardized ethnic-specific Figure Rating Scale to represent their current self, ideal self, and their estimation of ideals for the opposite sex. Sociodemographics and co-morbidity were assessed by self-report. RESULTS: All ethnic and gender groups showed a significant correlation between their body mass index and selected body image size, r = .63 to .74, all P<.001. Average ideal body image size for self was the same for African-American and white men, while African-American women had a significantly greater ideal image size compared with white women (P = .004). Ideal body image size preferences for members of the opposite sex were greater for African-Americans. White women had a notable preference for the smallest body image sizes. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that, independent of sociodemographic variables and co-morbidity, body image sizes for current self, ideal self, and ideal for the opposite sex were all significantly greater in African-Americans. CONCLUSION: Strategies to ameliorate overweight and its attendant diseases may require a shift in social norms, particularly among African-American women in low socioeconomic communities. This has implications for the design of community-based interventions and suggests a need for ethnic-specific interventions.
Substantial research shows less favorable body-image experiences among overweight and obese persons relative to persons of average weight. The purpose of this investigation of body image was to compare 102 enrollees in a commercial, very-low-calorie diet program to 258 age- and weight-matched control subjects. Whereas enrollees were more strongly invested in their physical appearance, they held a more disparaging view of their looks. Relative to the control group, enrollees also felt less healthy, yet their evaluation of and investment in their physical fitness were more positive. Obese persons constitute a heterogeneous population, and those who seek rapid and extensive weight loss in commercial programs may have special body-image concerns and needs.
The patient who presents for aesthetic surgery possesses various demands depending on the characteristic properties of the individual. Evaluation of self-esteem, body image and eating habits in patients of aesthetic surgery could help in understanding patients and their demands. We performed Rosenberg Scale Test for evaluation of self-esteem on 98 patients who presented for any kind of aesthetic surgery. Seventy-five patients who required no operation for body fat tissue were give body imaging scale and eating attitude scale tests. The results of the tests revealed an increase in the self-esteem of the patients, but it was not statistically significant. There was a minor disturbance in the body imaging scale without any statistical significance ( p > 0.05). The eating attitude of the patients indicated a disturbance with a ratio of 10% ( p < 0.01), and these patients were referred to psychiatrists. Even if patients of aesthetic surgery have no disorder in the perception of their body images, they reflect their aesthetic problems in their eating attitude; however they have no problem in the fat tissue distribution of their body. The aesthetic imperfection could impede the normal daily life of a patient and adaptation to the social life, and this defect is a health problem that should be solved as soon as possible.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
A selective review of studies concerning body image is presented to illustrate the diversity of approaches which have been adopted. Equivocal definitions of the concept of body image and the difficulties inherent in its measurement are examined and the most popular measurement techniques are described and criticized.