Body Image, Coping Styles, and Self-Care Capacity Among Breast Cancer Patients With Lymphedema: A Moderating Model Analysis.

BACKGROUND

With adequate self-care capacity, patients with breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) can reduce the frequency of outpatient and hospitalization treatments and execute decongestive procedures at home at a substantially reduced economic outlay.

OBJECTIVE

To test whether coping styles moderate the relationship between body image and self-care capacity among patients with BCRL and to identify the simple slope change trajectories and threshold value.

METHODS

From May 2022 to December 2023, the Body Image Scale, Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire, and the Appraisal of Self-Care Agency Scale-Revised were used to investigate 358 patients with BCRL. Pearson correlation analysis was used for the correlation relationship. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis of Model 1 in Process v3.5 was applied to identify the moderating effect. Johnson-Neyman technology was used to explore the detection of simple slope trajectories.

RESULTS

The moderating effect was found for coping styles (confrontation, avoidance, yielding) (ΔR2 = 0.012, 0.009, 0.010, P < .05), with critical thresholds of 29.87, 15.09, and 9.04, respectively. The trend and strength of body image's influence on self-care capacity differed at high/low coping style (simple slope = -0.365/-0.936/-0.880, simple slope = -0.753/-0.654/-0.548, P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Coping styles partially moderate between body image and self-care capacity, and body image exhibits a less negative impact on the self-care capacity of those with highly positive coping styles, while negative coping exacerbates this relationship. Pathway-role interactions and moderating effects of coping styles may facilitate nursing practitioners in formulating targeted interventions to effectively enhance self-care capacity.