Predicting quality of life: The influence of body image and coping strategies in women with reproductive cancer
BACKGROUND:
A cancer diagnosis significantly impacts women’s identities, self-perceptions, and overall, wellbeing. Reproductive cancers, such as breast, cervix, ovarian, and uterine cancer, notably affect these self-perceptions due to their association with femininity, sexuality, and reproductive capability. This study aimed to explore the intricate relationships between body image, coping strategies, and quality of life (QOL) in women diagnosed with reproductive cancers.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
The study involved 100 women with reproductive cancers using self-report measures like the Body Image Scale, Brief Coping Inventory, and WHOQOL-BREF to assess their QOL. The collected data were analyzed by using SPSS (version 21.0). Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and cluster analysis were used to analyze relationships.
RESULTS:
The study revealed a significant positive correlation between body image perceptions and QOL dimensions among women with reproductive cancer. Problem-focused coping emerged as a potent predictor of enhanced physical, psychological, and social relationships and environmental QOL. The analysis revealed two primary clusters: problem-focused coping, avoidant coping, body image, and emotion-focused coping, which were clustered at low levels of rescaled distance, indicating a shared underlying construct related to coping mechanisms and QOL.
CONCLUSION:
The study’s findings suggest future pathways for interventions that address body image issues and promote effective coping mechanisms. These interventions could potentially enhance the QOL for women with reproductive cancer, highlighting the need for a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach.
