A scoping review of measures used to assess body image in women with breast cancer

A partir d'une revue de la littérature, cette étude analyse l'intérêt des outils permettant d'évaluer l'image corporelle chez des patientes atteintes d'un cancer du sein

Résumé en anglais

Objective : The emergence of body image studies in the oncology setting has led to the use of numerous measures to assess dimensions of body image. The present study is a scoping review of the literature on body image in women with breast cancer to describe: (1) measures used to assess body image in women with breast cancer, (2) dimensions the measures used tap into, and (3) gaps and issues needing attention going forward.

Methods : Three databases were searched for peer-reviewed original studies that had full-texts available in English, focused on women with breast cancer, and assessed body image.

Result : sThe search yielded 3,729 peer reviewed articles; after screening, 562 articles met inclusion criteria. Of the 88 measures used, 28 were used in more than two studies and analyzed herein. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Breast Cancer-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire constituted the most frequently used measure. Most measures used focused on the affective dimension of body image (n=24/28, 85.7%), followed by the cognitive (n=20/28, 71.4%), behavioural (n=13/28, 46.4%), and perceptual dimensions (n=13/28, 46.4%).

Conclusions : This review provides a current summary of measures used to assess body image in women with breast cancer. Although some further development and refinement of body image measures could benefit the field, depending on the questions researchers or clinicians seek to answer, there are many available for use. Future research should use these measures to assess the effectiveness of interventions aimed at improving body image in women with breast cancer across the lifespan.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.