Author: Khola Tahir
Supervisor: Nashi Khan PhD
Degree: MS
Year: 2015-2017
University: Centre for Clinical Psychology, Punjab University, Lahore, Pakistan
Abstract
The current study aimed to explore the relationship between
Sexual Functioning, Body Image and Marital Intimacy in Women
with Breast Cancer. Hypotheses formulated were that there would
likely be a relationship between sexual functioning, body image
and marital intimacy in women with breast cancer; body image
would play a mediating role between sexual functioning and
marital intimacy; and there would be differences among women
on sexual functioning, body image and marital intimacy at
different stages of diagnosis as well the modes of treatment. A
sample of 118 women suffering from breast cancer with age (M =
39.58, SD = 11.06) were taken from both teaching and private
hospitals of Lahore, Pakistan. For this purpose the participants
were asked to fill out a set of questionnaires which included demographic questionnaire, Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI; Rosen et al., 2000), Body Image Scale (BIS; Hopwood, 2001),
and Marital Intimacy Questionnaire (MIQ; Broucke, Vertommen,
and Vendereycken, 1995). There was a significant positive
relationship between sexual functioning and marital intimacy.
Body image dissatisfaction had negative relationship with marital
intimacy and positive relationship with intimacy problems. Sexual
functioning was a positive predictor of marital intimacy
dimensions including consensus, openness and affection, whereas,
body image dissatisfaction came out to be a negative predictor of
positive dimensions of marital intimacy. There was a mediational
role of body image dissatisfaction between sexual functioning and
all dimensions of marital Intimacy. It was also found that women
who are receiving chemotherapy only had better sexual
functioning, body image satisfaction, and higher marital intimacy
than women receiving both chemotherapy and mastectomy.
Keywords: Sexual Functioning, Body Image, Marital Intimacy, Breast Cancer.
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