Prediction of Death Anxiety Based on Body Image Concerns Mediated by Disease Perception in Patients With Breast Cancer

Background: Fear of death and its associated anxiety are among the effective factors of mental health in patients with cancer. The present study aimed to predict death anxiety based on body image concerns mediated by disease perception in patients with breast cancer. Methods In this descriptive correlation study, Templer's Death Anxiety Scale, Littleton’s Body Image Concern Inventory, and Broadbent's Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire were used to collect data. The statistical population included all patients with breast cancer in Abadan city in 2020 who referred to medical centers for six months. A total of 200 of which were selected as the sample of the study using convenience sampling. The proposed model was evaluated using path analysis with AMOS software. Results The results showed that there was a significant association between body image and disease perception (β = 0.33, P = 0.001), and death anxiety (β = 0.57, P = 0.001), and between disease perception and death anxiety (β = 0.39, P = 0.001). There was a relationship between body image and death anxiety through the mediating role of disease perception in patients with breast cancer (P = 0.009). Conclusion According to the results of the study, the relationship of body image with death anxiety through the mediation of disease perception had a good fit and is an important step in identifying the factors affecting the death anxiety of patients with breast cancer.