P036  Clinical and psychological factors associated with impaired body image in patients with inflammatory bowel disease

P036  Clinical and psychological factors associated with impaired body image in patients with inflammatory bowel disease

 

Urbinati Clara1, Tamburrino Amanda1, Takamune Debora1, Cury Giovana1, Barros Jaqueline1, Baima Julio1, Saad-Hossne Rogerio1, Sassaki Ligia1
1 Botucatu Medical School (São Paulo State University ), Botucatu, Brazil

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) - Crohn's Disease (CD) and Ulcerative Colitis (UC) - are chronic illnesses that can compromise the body image and quality of life of patients. Symptoms include bloody diarrhea, rectal bleeding, tenesmus, urgency, and fecal incontinence. Body image is a concept related to the perception that each person has of his/her own appearance and how others see him/her and has great influence on social interactions. Therefore, individuals with negative body image may experience feelings of shame, depressive and anxious symptoms, sexual problems, and low self-esteem. This study aimed to assess the impact of IBD on patients’ body image, as well as the clinical and psychological factors associated with impaired body image.

METHODS: Cross-sectional study including 145 IBD patients and 155 healthy people. As evaluation instruments, clinical variables, clinical disease activity, quality of life (IBDQ and SF-36), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Rosemberg Self-Esteem Scale and Body Image Scale (BIS) were used. Statistical Analysis: Pearson's association and correlation tests.

RESULTS: 77 patients with CD and 68 patients with UC were evaluated compared to 155 healthy people. The mean age was higher in the IBD group (p = 0.012). Family income (p = 0.0093) and alcoholism (p<0.0001) were higher in the control group. There was no difference in quality of life (p = 0.6990), anxiety symptoms (p = 0.3117) or self-esteem (p = 0.7611), but depression symptoms were more frequent in the IBD group (24.83% vs 14.84%, p = 0.0296). Body image was impaired in the IBD group (p = 0.0007). The variables associated with body image in the IBD group were disease activity in CD (R = 0.33457, p = 0.0074), disease activity in UC (R = 0.27732, p = 0.0305), quality of life assessed by IBDQ (R = -0.52408, p<0.0001), SF-36 (R = -0.56048, p<0.0001), anxiety (R = 0.288729, p = 0.0005), depression (R = 0.30741, p = 0.0002) and self-esteem (R = -0.43080, p<0.0001). The variables associated with body image in the control group were male gender (R = -0.19919, p = 0.0130), quality of life (SF-36) (R = -0.42172, p<0.0001), anxiety (R = 0.255865, p = 0.0012), depression (R = 0.32471, p<0.0001) and self-esteem (R = -0.40683, p<0.0001).

CONCLUSION(S): IBD patients have impaired body image compared to the control group. Disease activity, quality of life and mood disorders were associated with impaired body image in IBD patients.