Experiences of Body Image Changes in Chinese Patients Living with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Descriptive Qualitative Study

Abstract

Body image changes are common among patients living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) because of the illness and related treatments. Currently, there is little known about how those patients experience and perceive their altered body image in the literature. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of body image changes in patients with IBD in China and to describe how those changes influence patients' perception of body and self. Methods: This study used a descriptive qualitative approach. A total of 16 participants from three tertiary hospitals in southeast China were recruited through purposive sampling combined with maximum variation strategy. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and analyzed using conventional content analysis method. Results: The following six themes were extracted: (1) "being a constrained person," (2) "being a flawed person," (3) "being a disliked person," (4) "being an alienated person," (5) "being a reconciled person," and ( 6) "being a blessed person." Conclusion: With the diagnosis of IBD and its side effects of treatments, patients' life changed significantly and they were struggling to reinterpret their body and self. As a result, negative self-evaluations and/ or positive self-evaluations towards themselves generated. Further studies are required to explore the underlying mechanism and related influencing factors about how those different images were produced.

A Feeling of Otherness: A Qualitative Research Synthesis Exploring the Lived Experiences of Stigma in Individuals with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

“…However, I could not tell the truth." [67] There was a palpable sense of relief when people were able to overcome this struggle and not only share their true experiences but be their true selves. Being authentic was liberating and empowering.…”

Reconstructing self from the illness: a constructivist grounded theory study of posttraumatic growth in patients with Crohn’s disease

“…This promoted the transformation of self-positioning from "victim" to "survivor" and led to the re-examination of inherent concepts and their original life. This comparison method has been described in previous studies of patients with Crohn's disease [22,49], indicating that the application of this method has a certain universality and effectiveness. When patients said, "I'm not the unluckiest", and had fewer complaints about the illness, it demonstrated improved acceptance of the illness with the achievement of self-reconciliation, to a certain extent.…”

“…A Canadian study [21] explored the positive changes experienced by patients with in ammatory bowel disease after diagnosis and generated the following ve themes based on the ndings: interpersonal relations, personal growth, valuing life, new life paths and spiritual growth. Similarly, studies in China [22,23] have found that some patients with Crohn's disease undergo posttraumatic growth, including the formation of stronger and closer relationships with others, living in the present, and reordering priorities. Together, the above research indicates that some patients with Crohn's disease experience posttraumatic growth.…”

“The Rest of my Childhood was Lost”: Canadian Children and Adolescents’ Experiences Navigating Inflammatory Bowel Disease

“…Because youth place a high level of importance on their bodily appearance and physical attractiveness, these bodily changes can be difficult to process. Unsurprisingly, body image concerns have been raised in studies focusing on pediatric IBD experiences in varying countries and contexts (see Brydolf & Segesten, 1996;Daniel, 2002;Nicholas et al, 2007;Karwowski et al, 2009;Ruan et al, 2020). In some cases of chronic illness, such feelings can motivate extensive body projects to achieve a "normal" appearance (Balfe, 2009).…”