Childhood leukemia and body image: interview reveals impairment not found with a questionnaire.
Twenty-eight adolescent leukemia survivors and 34 healthy controls were examined by means of a self-report questionnaire and a semi-structured face-to-face interview to appraise the quality of their body image. To protect against observer bias a blind-rater was used. The self-report inventory suggested that survivors have a perfectly normal body image, whereas in the interview 36% of the survivors were rated as having an impaired and 36% a diffuse, body image. The survivors' characteristic attitude towards their physical appearance--to evade the difficult issue--because evident when there were no ready answers from which to choose. Thus, in evaluating the impact of cancer on body image the choice of method of inquiry is vital.
Puukko
L R
LR
Children's Hospital, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Helsinki University, Finland.
Sammallahti
P R
PR
Siimes
M A
MA
Aalberg
V A
VA
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D001828:Body Image; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D012016:Reference Values; D012074:Remission Induction; D012803:Sick Role