Factors related to satisfaction with body image in children undergoing chemotherapy

This cross-sectional correlational study explored factors related to satisfaction with body image in children undergoing chemotherapy. We recruited 118 children with cancer undergoing chemotherapy at three medical centers. Subjects ranged from 6 to 18 years old (mean, 10.8 years). Most had leukemia, were in the first to third grade of elementary school, and had their mother as the primary caregiver. Two structured questionnaires were used, the Body Image Scale (part I, Cronbach's alpha = 0.82; part II, Kuder-Richardson-20 = 0.86) and Social Support Scale (family part, Cronbach's alpha = 0.88; nurses part, Cronbach's alpha = 0.91). Satisfaction with body image was significantly related to gender, age, education level, and the frequency of changes in appearance caused by chemotherapy. Girls felt more dissatisfied than boys. Satisfaction with body image was lower in older children, in children with a high level of education or in those with more frequent changes in appearance. Significant predictors of subjects' satisfaction with body image were gender, education level, and appearance-related side effects of chemotherapy, which accounted for 23.3% of total variance. These findings suggest that the family and nurses should pay more attention to teenagers who perceive changes in their appearance and help them to develop a positive body image. Furthermore, it is essential that a new scale to measure social support about body image is developed in future studies.