Perceptions of body image and health status in persons with mitral valve prolapse

Twenty subjects with diagnosed Mitral Valve Prolapse (MVP) were interviewed regarding self-care needs. Transcripts were analyzed for evidence of perceived health state and altered body image. The majority of subjects described experiences indicating that their perceptions of body image and health state were affected by the diagnosis of MVP. Using Smith's (1981) four categories of health perceptions, most subjects were judged to perceive their health state from a combination of clinical, role-performance and adaptive perspectives.