Characteristics of body image and their relationship with perceived stress, self-compassion and implicit attitudes in female breast cancer patients

To explore body image characteristics and their relationship with perceived stress, self-compassion, and implicit attitudes among Chinese women with breast cancer.

Body image scale（BIS）, Chinese perceived stress scale（CPSS）, and self-compassion scale-short form（SCS-SF）were employed to evaluate 343 breast cancer patients recruited from a tertiary hospital. Implicit association test（IAT）was conducted on 68 patients, and 65 valid results were obtained. Based on BIS score of 10 as a cutoff value, the patients were divided into BIS score <10 and ≥10 groups.

Among the 343 breast cancer patients, 161 had a BIS score ≥10, and the detection rate of body image dysregulation was 47%. The patients at an age of ≤40 years had higher negative body image scores than those at 40~50 years and those at ≥50 years, and those of jobless had higher negative scores than those employed and those retired. Body image was positively correlated with perceived stress（r=0.49, P<0.01）and negatively with self-compassion（r=-0.49, P<0.01）and implicit attitudes（r=-0.26, P<0.05）in these patients. The patients from the BIS score <10 group had obviously higher IAT D-score than those of the BIS score <10 group.

The detection rate of body image dysregulation is quite high in women with breast cancer detection rate of body image dysregulation. Body image is closely associated with perceived stress, self-compassion, implicit attitudes, age, and employment status, which provides the basis for the scientific development of clinical interventions to improve body image in the patients.