‘I’ve got a very dichotomous difference in the way that I perceive myself’: Positive and negative constructions of body image following cancer treatment

Journal article


Grogan, Sarah, Mechan, Jayne, Persson, Sofia, Finlay, Sive and Hall, Matthew 2017. ‘I’ve got a very dichotomous difference in the way that I perceive myself’: Positive and negative constructions of body image following cancer treatment. Journal of Health Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105317730896
AuthorsGrogan, Sarah, Mechan, Jayne, Persson, Sofia, Finlay, Sive and Hall, Matthew
Abstract

This study investigated how women constructed body image following cancer. Four women, aged 32-67 years who had experienced breast or bowel cancer took part in a two-hour, in-depth focus group. Discourse analysis revealed that women orientated to positive aspects of the post-treatment body (silhouette, trust, acceptance) whilst acknowledging that their experiences were also traumatic (hair loss, scarring, sickness, swelling). Bodies and illness were concealed from public judgment, and women developed new trust in their bodies due to overcoming cancer; post-cancer bodies were accepted despite opportunities for normalisation. Implications for those wanting to support women during and after cancer are discussed.

This study investigated how women constructed body image following cancer. Four women, aged 32-67 years who had experienced breast or bowel cancer took part in a two-hour, in-depth focus group. Discourse analysis revealed that women orientated to positive aspects of the post-treatment body (silhouette, trust, acceptance) whilst acknowledging that their experiences were also traumatic (hair loss, scarring, sickness, swelling). Bodies and illness were concealed from public judgment, and women developed new trust in their bodies due to overcoming cancer; post-cancer bodies were accepted despite opportunities for normalisation. Implications for those wanting to support women during and after cancer are discussed.

KeywordsBody image; Breast cancer; Bowl cancer; Discourse analysis; Body acceptance; Focus groups
Year2017
JournalJournal of Health Psychology
PublisherSage
ISSN13591053
14617277
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105317730896
Web address (URL)http://hdl.handle.net/10545/621869
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/
hdl:10545/621869
Publication dates20 Sep 2017
Publication process dates
Deposited22 Sep 2017, 14:55
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Archived with thanks to Journal of Health Psychology

ContributorsManchester Metropolitan University, Cancer Research UK, University of Derby, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK, Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, UK and University of Derby, UK
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