Good day Ma’am Nierras and classmates!!

I’m Angel and I will be your moderator for today. Our 4th day of online discussion will focus on “Women with Disabilities- Surgeries that Impact Body Image”. Several questions that will be asked will guide you through a deeper understanding of how body image of a woman is affected by a number of factors.

Please be guided by the following questions as you go through the reading material.

1. What is the impact of certain disabilities on the body image of women?
2. Aside from disabilities, other factors play a role in influencing women’s perception of herself. How can cultural, social and developmental factors affect how a woman perceives her body image?
3. Are there specific researches done to determine body image interventions that focus on an individual and in a larger population?
4. As a nurse, what will be your role in taking care of a woman with disrupted body image due to disabilities?

Women and Body Image

• More than 40 percent of women are unhappy with their bodies, a number virtually unchanged since 1984. Other statistics show that in 1970 the average age of a girl who started dieting was 14; by 1990 the average dieting age fell to 8. A study also found that women overestimate the size of their hips by 16% and their waists by 25%, yet the same women were able to correctly estimate the width of a box.

• Body image" refers to the mental picture we have of our own bodies. This is a "perception" of how we think we look, in combination with how we think others perceive our bodies. How we perceive and relate to our own physical aesthetics or body image is influenced by cultural and social factors.

• The noted neurologist Sir Henry Head was the first to describe the concept of body image. This image, or body schema, is a unity of experiences of the past, coupled with present body sensations, which are organized in the sensory cortex of the cerebrum (Head H. 1920). Each individual develops this body schema: a model or self-picture that can be compared to others in terms of body postures and body motions (Head H. 1926). Body experience is important to normal psychological development and behavior (Head H. 1920).

• Body image is more than a reference model. It also has emotional and symbolic significance (Fisher S, Cleveland SE. 1958). Schilder defines body image as the picture of our own body which we form in our mind (Fisher S, Cleveland SE. 1958). Practicing as a psychiatrist, he realized distortions in body experience attributed to brain pathology needed to be studied not only from the perspective of brain physiology but also from the psychological viewpoint. The many variables associated with body image have principal relevance in both the pathological aspects of daily life and in ordinary everyday events. Because body image lies at the center of personality, body experience is the nucleus of psychological life (Fisher S, Cleveland SE. 1958).



Top ten factors that can affect Body Image:

1. Aging
Women always have a special concern on how they will look like when they are already old. Many changes due to aging such as losing of memory, teeth, eyesight, hearing, sex drive and also physical changes like weight gain, hair loss and wrinkles can affect self-esteem. Depression also takes place when women undergo menopause because of hormonal changes.

2. Alopecia and Hair Loss
Causes can include physical stress such as surgery and illness, emotional stress, thyroid problems, certain medications and hormonal changes. This also happens in women undergoing chemotherapy because the fast normal dividing cells are also affected.

3. Cancer

By the end of 2001, some 625,000 women will have been diagnosed with cancer, and about 267,300 women will have died of the disease. Fifty-eight percent of the estimated 8.9 million cancer survivors today are women. Cancers that are specific to or affect women in high numbers include breast, cervical, endometrial (uterine), ovarian, lung, skin, and colorectal cancers, as well as AIDS-associated cancers. Treatment for Cancers can affect woman’s body image because of the changes that were brought about by its side-effects.

4. Diabetes

Several implications follow when the patient is diagnosed to have DM. Starting a diet with so many restrictions can make the client feel that something is wrong and this could initiate a stressful event for the woman. One should be aware of the warning signs and symptoms of diabetes to immediately act on the prevention of its complications.

5. HIV/AIDS

This is the third leading cause of disability in women. Chronic disease like AIDS has a big impact in an individual and also in the society. With the advances in technology, HIV/ AIDS can be managed with the use of drugs. However, these drugs pose some undesirable side effects such ass nausea, fatigue, headache, diarrhea and weight loss. HIV/AIDS can be stressful which may affect woman’s self-esteem and mental health.

6. LUPUS

With lupus, there is a trademark "butterfly" rash on the face and hair loss. Fatigue that can often be extreme is a partner in all of these illnesses, and can lead to depression. Coping with not feeling well, sometimes every day, can be very stressful. A woman may lose her independence or not be able to care for her family. It is important for women to talk about their concerns and to get the support they need. Many advances are happening with the diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune diseases.

7. MENOPAUSE
Physical and emotional changes should be learned in order that the person will become aware of the signs and symptoms of menopausal period such as hot flashes, sleep sleep problems, anxiety, depression, vaginal dryness (which can cause painful sex), having to urinate a lot, memory loss, weight gain, thinning hair, and changes in sex drive.

8. Oral Health
People over 40 years old are more at risk for mouth cancer, which often is not noticed in its early stages because people do not have regular visits with their health care provider. Oral lesions, such as cold sores and canker sores, may happen more often due to changing hormones during a woman's period, pregnancy, and menopause. Dry mouth, common in adults, can make it hard to eat and speak, and can be hard to cope with. Bad breath can happen when teeth and dentures (false teeth) are not properly cleaned and can be embarrassing. Tooth loss can occur as a result of gum disease or tooth decay.

9. Polycystic Ovarian Disease and Infertility
Most women with PCOS have ovulatory dysfunction or absent ovulation. If the egg is not released from the ovary each month in a normal fashion, this can obviously lead to infertility. Anovulation may also manifest itself by infrequent or irregular menstrual cycles. In the absence of ovulation, the ovary does not make the hormone progesterone in the second half of the menstrual cycle. Without progesterone, the lining of the uterus is not shed in an efficient and timely manner. After a number of years, this can place women with PCOS at risk for an abnormal buildup of the lining of the uterus (endometrial hyperplasia) . For this reason, women with PCOS who are not trying to get pregnant should be treated with progesterone-like medications to induce a normal menstrual period at least every 2-3 months.

10. Pregnancy
A woman's body image can change during pregnancy. Skin changes such as acne or spider veins on the face and varicose veins on the legs can occur. Some women feel more emotional because of changing hormones. Sleep loss can add stress to already stressed lives. Women can worry about their changing roles, from being in the workplace, a wife, a single person, to becoming a mother and a caregiver. Women may have concerns about how a new baby will affect their other children. Relationships with partners can change, which can affect how women feel about themselves.

*Suggested readings will be posted later. If you have any concerns, pls. feel free to ask.
God Bless!