Establishing Institution-Specific Normative Data for the BREAST-Q Reconstruction Module: A Prospective Study

Area of Science:

• Plastic Surgery
• Patient-Reported Outcomes
• Health Disparities

Background:

• Breast satisfaction is understudied in general female populations.
• Existing research often lacks diverse community representation.

Purpose of the Study:

• Assess breast satisfaction using the BREAST-Q in a female cohort.
• Determine the influence of participant-related factors on breast satisfaction scores.

Main Methods:

• Prospective, single-center study of 300 females without breast cancer or surgery history.
• Utilized preoperative BREAST-Q reconstruction modules and demographic forms.
• Assessed factors like BMI, age, race, and bra cup size.

Main Results:

• Higher BMI correlated with lower Satisfaction with Breasts and Psychosocial Well-being.
• Older age linked to lower Sexual Well-being.
• African Americans reported higher satisfaction across multiple domains compared to Caucasians.
• Specific bra cup sizes (A, B, C) showed associations with higher scores in various well-being domains.

Conclusions:

• BMI, age, race, and bra size significantly impact BREAST-Q scores.
• Normative BREAST-Q scores can establish important baselines for breast outcomes research.