Body image in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract

We investigated body image in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), correlating it with self-esteem, function, and quality of life. Forty-three RA patients and 39 control individuals from the community between 18 and 70 years of age and paired for gender, age, and body mass index (BMI) were evaluated. Patients were assessed for body image [Body Dysmorphic Disorder Examination (BDDE)], self-esteem (Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale), function [Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ)] and quality of life [Short Form-36 (SF-36)]. The RA group had a mean age of 51.6 years, BMI 26.01, and disease duration 12.2 years. Most participants were categorized in functional class I. The BDDE score of the RA group (51.8) was significantly higher than in the control group (22.6) (p < 0.001). Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, HAQ and some SF-36 subscales were worse in the RA group than in the control group. These scores had a direct correlation with body image scores (p < 0.001). Individuals with RA had a worse body image than individuals without this condition. Body image was directly correlated with self-esteem, function, and quality of life.

Impact of Rheumatoid Arthritis on Body Image Disturbance

“…Previous studies have reported that RA patient's age, sex and education were closely associated with BID. 31,32 In this study, we did not find any association between BID and these variables. The reason for these two different results may be caused by the different participants in China and Western countries and the existence of cultural diversity.…”

“…Previous studies indicated that poor physical capacity may contribute to a negative body image perception. 31 In our study, functional capacity (social function domain of SF-36) was positively related to BID as well. One major symptom of RA is pain; accordingly, we found that body pain was closely associated with BID.…”

“…Other studies reported the same conclusion as this study when it comes to BID of RA patients and controls. 30 Similarly, Jorge et al 31 discovered a worse BID score in RA patients than in control groups. All of these findings highlight the fact that RA patients have poor body image perception compared to healthy people.…”

Body image disturbance in adults treated for cancer – a concept analysis

“…Several studies have shown that individuals with cancerrelated physical and social functional decline are more likely to have body image disturbance (Hopwood & Maguire 1988, Jorge et al 2010, Fingeret et al 2013). More specifically, body image disturbance has been significantly associated with problems with speech and eating (Fingeret et al 2013), poorer sexual satisfaction (Stafford & Judd 2011), severe defecation symptoms (Hazewinkel et al 2012) and total gastrectomy as opposed to subtotal gastrectomy (Kim et al 2012).…”

Examining posttraumatic growth and mindfulness in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis

“…In one study, approximately 30% of RA patients reported feeling less attractive as a result of their disease, and these feelings were associated with higher levels of depression and using concealing behaviors to reduce the noticeability of their RA (Monaghan et al, 2007). Patients with RA who are concerned about body image (e.g., swelling and deformity of the joints) are also more likely to report poorer quality of life (Jorge, Brumini, Jones, & Natour, 2010). One study found that lower self-esteem in people with RA was related to higher self-stigma, or the extent to which a person held negative attitudes about people with RA (Corker, Brown, & Henderson, 2016).…”