Association between body image dissatisfaction and poor quality of life and depression among patients with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the association between body image dissatisfaction and quality of life and depression among patients after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey at three university-based HSCT outpatient clinics and the Korea Blood Cancer Association. We assessed the body image using the body image scale; quality of life and depression were measured using the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF and the Patient Health Questionnaire 9, respectively. Univariate and multivariate linear regression models were used to find an association between body image, quality of life, and depression. Results: Among 163 study participants, 71.8% were male, and the mean age of the participants was 48.3 (SD = 11.2). Over 70% of the participants reported that they felt less physically and sexually attractive due to HSCT, and 39.3% of the patients were dissatisfied with their body image. In fully adjusted models, patients with dissatisfied body image had significantly poorer quality of life (− 13.68, 95% confidence interval [CI] = − 18.16, − 9.21). Moreover, patients with body image dissatisfaction were 8.59 times (95% CI = 3.79, 19.48) more likely to have depressive symptoms than patients without it. Conclusion: The majority of HSCT patients experienced body image dissatisfaction, which was significantly associated with poor quality of life and depression. It would be essential to evaluate body image after HSCT and provide appropriate interventions for preventing further psychological consequences.