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Chaldean American Views on Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Background:
Cultural and religious beliefs influence perceptions of plastic surgery, yet attitudes among Chaldean Americans, an ethnoreligious minority from northern Iraq, remain uncharacterized.
Objectives:
The aim of this study was to evaluate attitudes toward cosmetic and reconstructive surgery within the Chaldean American community and identify associated cultural, religious, and demographic factors.
Methods:
A cross-sectional Qualtrics survey was administered to US Chaldean Americans (age ≥18). Participants were recruited through snowball sampling in metropolitan Detroit. Data on demographics, previous procedures, surgical interest, gender preferences, and religious influence were analyzed using descriptive statistics and sex-based comparisons.
Results:
Among 104 respondents (54.8% women, 45.2% men; mean age 27.1), 22.1% reported a previous cosmetic procedure. Women were significantly more likely than men to have had a procedure (31.6% vs 10.6%, P = .008) and expressed higher overall interest in future surgery (P < .001). Rhinoplasty was the most common procedure among respondents who had undergone cosmetic surgery (65.2%). Men significantly preferred male surgeons for both cosmetic and reconstructive cases (P < .001). Religion was cited as a conflicting factor by 35.6% of respondents, with men more likely to report religious influence (P = .007). Women demonstrated greater support for all forms of postmastectomy breast reconstruction (P = .0017).
Conclusions:
In this exploratory survey of Chaldean Americans, attitudes toward plastic surgery varied according to sex and religious beliefs. The prominence of rhinoplasty among respondents parallels trends described in other Middle Eastern populations. Although these findings are not necessarily generalizable to all Chaldean Americans, they provide preliminary insights that may assist surgeons in delivering culturally informed care and support future research in this understudied population.
Level Of Evidence 3 Therapeutic:
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