Psychometric development of a new body image scale for breast cancer survivors.
Erika Biederman, Andrea Cohee, Patrick Monahan and 2 others
PMID 31237491WHAT IT FOUND
A 7-item body image scale for long-term breast cancer survivors was linked to fatigue, depression, anxiety, fear of recurrence, sexuality, and overall well-being.
It may help clinicians flag survivors who need further assessment, but it does not prove treatment works.
Key findings
01After one redundant item was removed, the final 7-item scale had a Cronbach alpha of 0.88.
02Body image scores were correlated with physical, psychological, and social quality-of-life measures, and remained associated with overall well-being after adjustment.
03Factor analysis suggested one underlying body image variable.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The sample came from an oncology group whose survivors were highly educated, had high socioeconomic status, and were mostly Caucasian. The data were cross-sectional, so body image and quality-of-life variables cannot be said to cause one another. The scale was tested only in long-term breast cancer survivors, three to eight years after treatment, with a specified chemotherapy regimen. The paper reports psychometric development, not a tested intervention that improves body image or quality of life.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the scale as proof that improving body image will improve fatigue, depression, anxiety, fear of recurrence, sexuality, or relationships. The study showed correlations in breast cancer survivors and did not test an intervention.