The relationships between marital support, partner participation, body image, and mental distress among Bedouin women with breast cancer survivors.

[OBJECTIVE] Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among Arab women in the Middle East.

[OBJECTIVES] This study examined the relationships between marital support, partner participation, body image, and mental distress among Bedouin women diagnosed with breast cancer.

[DESIGN] A total of 100 Muslim Bedouin women who were at least a year from their initial breast cancer diagnoses participate in the study.

[RESULTS] The findings indicated negative and significant relationships between partner support and mental distress and between body image and mental distress. In addition, a clear positive relationship was found between partner support and partner participation in the home and between education, income, and spousal support. Women who underwent breast reconstruction following mastectomy reported a higher level of support and improved psychological outcomes. Finally, several distinct relationships were found between demographic variables and the research variables.

[CONCLUSION] The provision of culturally appropriate, patient-centered cancer treatments has not been explored for Muslim Arab women in the Middle East in general and in the Bedouin community more specifically, despite their unique cultural characteristics and increases in the rate of breast cancer among these populations. This study highlights the need for further studies in this area.