Relationship between Body Image and Familial – Social Interaction among Mastectomies' Women attending Cancer Teaching Centers, Tehran, 1994.

Abstract

Abstract: This research is an analytic case –control study of relation between body Image and family –social interaction of Mastectomies women who have referred to curing centers of Ministry of Hygiene, curing and Medical Training of Tehran city on 1994. In this research we have selected 100 mastectomy women (case -group) and 100 Un–mastectomy women (control -group), because their family, cultural and social backgrounds were similar. The sampling method was purposive sampling and the researched sample (the case and control group) had referred to the therapeutic centers dependent on the Ministry of Hygiene, Curing and Medical Training in the period of research work and collecting related data. The instrument of collecting data for case group was an interview sheet of 78 question in 5 parts including the questions about personal specifications, demographic questions special for mastectomy women, questions about their body image and their family interactions before and after mastectomy, questions about their social interactions before and after the operation. And another interview sheet for control group of 71 questions in 4 parts including questions about their personal specifications, about their body image, about their family interactions before and after mastectomy of one of the members of family, about their social interactions before and after mastectomy of one of the members of family. The results of this research show that all the researched subjects in the case group had a negative body image and the majority of members of control group had a positive body image. Also, the majority of samples in the case and group control group had a desires family interactions before mastectomy of themselves or one of the members of their family. But after mastectomy, the majority of the samples in the case group had undesired family interactions. The results also show that the majority of samples in both case and control group had an undesired family interactions before mastectomy, but after the operation, the number of samples in case group with undesired interactions, increased, and the situation of control group remained as before. The findings show a significant statistical difference between these two groups from the point of view of their body image, family interactions before and after operation and social interactions after the operation. But there was not any significant statistical difference between these point two groups from pre-operation social interactions point of view. With Z test there was significant difference between these two groups from the point of view of relation between body image and family social, interactions after mastectomy. The survey of findings on the basis of non –parametrical test of Mc.Nemar has shown a significant difference between family interactions before and after mastectomy and social interactions before and after mastectomy in the case group. So, we can say that the breast cancer which result to mastectomy make their body image negative because of making a change in the body of women and this negative attitude towards their body make negative effects on their family and social interactions. The survey of findings about the effects of various demographic variables on these three main variables show that there is not any correlation between the personal specifications and body image, and family and social interactions before and after mastectomy in the researched samples (case and control group) and if there is any correlation, it is very insignificant. So, in this research the factors like age, period of marriage, rate of educations and etc. had not an important effects on the mentioned three main variables. Considering the results of this research, the researcher suggest to the heads of nursing staff to promote and increase their nursing cares to these patients with exact and developed planning's, and the nurses must learn to consider the psychosocial needs of all patients in the way of recovering and renovating their body image and help them to adapt themselves to new situation. So we would have healthy women, healthy mothers and healthy wives from psychosomatic and social point of view and then society will move to a higher degree of health and hygiene. At the end, there is some suggestions for furthers researches which is helpful to solve the problems of all who have lost their organs for various reasons and whose body image have been changed.