Relationship between multifaceted body image and negative affect among women undergoing mastectomy for breast cancer: a longitudinal study

The purpose of the current study was to investigate how post-surgery multifaceted body image predicts negative affect (NA) 6 months post-surgery among women undergoing mastectomy. In total, 310 Chinese women undergoing mastectomy were recruited from a hospital in the Hunan province between 2012 and 2013. Upon enrollment (T1), all women were administered the Chinese version of Body Image after Breast Cancer Questionnaire (BIBCQ) (BIBCQ-C), NA subscale of Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), and Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD). Two weeks later, BIBCQ-C was re-administered. Six months later (T2), the NA subscale was administered again. We first evaluated the psychometric properties of BIBCQ-C, and then investigated the long-term impact of different aspects of body image on NA using forced entry hierarchical regression analyses. The BIBCQ-C scores demonstrated acceptable internal consistency (all Cronbach’s α > 0.70) and test–retest reliability (all ICC > 0.86). Confirmatory factor analysis supported the six-factor model (CFI = 0.93, TLI = 0.94, RMSEA = 0.04). Regression analysis showed that two dimensions of body image, vulnerability (β = 0.217) and body concern (β = 0.119) at T1, significantly predict NA at T2 (all p < 0.05). BIBCQ-C was a good instrument for measuring multifaceted body image. Improvement of vulnerability and body concern, two aspects of body image, may reduce post-surgery NA among Chinese women undergoing mastectomy.