A Study on the Body Image and Quality of Life of Students with Physical Disabilities

Introduction. The psychosocial and quality of life (QoL) of patients with deformed or missing ears are frequently compromised. The aim of this study is to develop innovative techniques using CAD/CAM technology in prosthetic auricular rehabilitation and provide improvement in the treatment outcomes, including their psychology and QoL.Methods. This is a preliminary clinical cohort study. Six patients requesting for auricular reconstruction were recruited and rehabilitated with implant-supported prosthesis using CAD/CAM technology. Different treatment outcomes including QoL and psychological changes were assessed at different time points.Results. A significant reduction in severity of depressive symptoms(P=0.038)and an improving trend of satisfaction with life were found at 1 year postoperatively when compared with the preoperative findings. The domain scores in ‘‘Body image’’, ‘‘Family/friends/strangers’’, and ‘‘Mood’’ were also significantly higher(P<0.05)at 1 year postoperatively than 1 week postoperatively. However, only 50% of the patients wear their auricular prosthesis regularly.Conclusion. This preliminary study has confirmed that implant-supported auricular prosthesis could induce improvement in the psychology and QoL with statistically significant differences in the domains of the body image, social interaction, and mood. Our present findings can inform research design and hypotheses generation of future studies.

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Effects of a Multidisciplinary Educational Rehabilitative Intervention in Breast Cancer Survivors: The Role of Body Image on Quality of Life Outcomes

The Scientific World JOURNAL ◽

10.1155/2014/451935 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2014 ◽

pp. 1-11 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Giovanni Morone ◽

Marco Iosa ◽

Augusto Fusco ◽

Antonella Scappaticci ◽

Maria Rosaria Alcuri ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Quality Of Life ◽

Body Image ◽

Breast Cancer Survivors ◽

The Body ◽

Life Outcomes ◽

Rehabilitative Intervention ◽

Psychological Features

In breast cancer survivors, own body image may change due to physical and psychological reasons, worsening women’s living. The aim of the study was to investigate whether body image may affect the functional and quality of life outcomes after a multidisciplinary and educational rehabilitative intervention in sixty women with primary nonmetastatic breast cancer who have undergone conservative surgery. To assess the quality of life was administered The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Study Group on Quality of Life core questionnaire, while to investigate the psychological features and self-image were administered the following scales: the Body Image Scale, the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. To assess the recovery of the function of the shoulder were administered: the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand Questionnaire and the Constant-Murley Score. Data were collected at the baseline, at the end of the intervention, and at 3-month follow-up. We found a general improvement in the outcomes related to quality of life, and physical and psychological features after treatment (P< 0.001). During follow-up period, a higher further improvement in women without alterations in body image in respect of those with an altered self-perception of their own body was found (P= 0.01). In conclusion, the body image may influence the efficacy of a rehabilitative intervention, especially in the short term of follow-up.

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Comparisons of Body Image Perceptions of a Sample of Black and White Women with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Fibromyalgia in the US

The Open Rheumatology Journal ◽

10.2174/1874312901409010001 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 1-7 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Josephine E.A Boyington ◽

Britta Schoster ◽

Leigh F Callahan

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽

Health Care ◽

Body Image ◽

White Women ◽

The Body ◽

Activity Limitations ◽

Body Parts ◽

Mental Function

Objective : To explore the disease-related, body image (BI) perceptions of women diagnosed with, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and fibromyalgia (FM). Methods : A purposive sample of twenty-seven females participated in individual semi-structured phone interviews to elicit BI perceptions relative to pain, activity limitations and coping measures. Sessions were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim, and content analyzed. Results : Body image perceptions relative to 5 major themes emerged in the analysis. They focused on Pain, Disease Impact on Physical and Mental Function, Weight, Diseased-Induced Fears and, Coping measures. Pain was a common experience of all participants. Other troubling factors verbalized by participants included dislike and shame of visibly affected body parts, and disease-induced social, psychological and physical limitations. RA participants thought that manifested joint changes, such as swelling and redness, undergirded their prompt diagnosis and receipt of health care. Contrarily, women with fibromyalgia perceived that the lack of visible, disease-related, physical signs led to a discounting of their disease, which led to delayed health care and subsequent frustrations and anger. All but one participant used prayer and meditation as a coping measure. Conclusion : The body image perceptions evidenced by the majority of participants were generally negative and included specific focus on their disease-affected body parts (e.g. joints), mental function, self-identity, health care experiences, activity limitations and overall quality of life. Given the global effect of RA and FM, assessment and integration of findings about the BI perceptions of individuals with FM and RA may help define suitable interdisciplinary strategies for managing these conditions and improving participants’ quality of life.

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Body Awareness and its Relation to Quality of Life in Individuals with Idiopathic Scoliosis

Perceptual and Motor Skills ◽

10.1177/0031512520924945 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 127 (5) ◽

pp. 841-857

Author(s):

Gozde Yagci ◽

Merve Karatel ◽

Yavuz Yakut

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Mental Health ◽

Body Image ◽

Idiopathic Scoliosis ◽

Body Awareness ◽

Research Society ◽

The Body ◽

Lumbar Region ◽

Scoliosis Research Society

An individual’s body awareness depends on the integration of bodily signals from both inside and outside the body. The etiology of idiopathic scoliosis includes a variety of somatosensorial and biomechanical alterations that may affect an individual’s body awareness. In this study, we investigated body awareness and its relation to quality of life among individuals with idiopathic scoliosis. We studied 96 participants with scoliosis and 71 healthy control participants. We evaluated both participant groups’ body awareness using the Awareness-Body-Chart, and we assessed the quality of life of those with scoliosis using the Scoliosis Research Society-22 (SRS-22) questionnaire. The overall body awareness score and the body awareness values for the face, cervical/lumbar region, back, shoulder, upper arm, lower arm/elbow, hand, genital area, thigh/hip, lower leg, and foot were all found to be significantly lower among the participants with scoliosis than among healthy participants. Among participants with scoliosis, the body awareness value for the back region was positively correlated with pain, body image, mental health, and overall quality of life scores on the SRS-22, whereas the pain score on the Awareness-Body-Chart was negatively correlated with the function/activity, pain, mental health, and overall scores for the SRS-22. This study showed that participants with idiopathic scoliosis have poorer body awareness than control participants without scoliosis, and body awareness among participants with scoliosis was correlated with their self-reports of pain, body image, function, and mental health. These findings highlight the particular importance of body awareness to quality of life for individuals with scoliosis.

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