Resilience Differences Among Health Professionals: Examining the Impact of Body Image Appreciation

TL;DR

This study explores how body image appreciation affects resilience in health professionals, finding that nurses and physicians differ in their resilience levels and influencing factors.

Contribution

The study is among the first to investigate the relationship between body image appreciation and resilience specifically among health professionals.

Findings

Nurses reported significantly higher body image and resilience compared to physicians.

Body image appreciation was a strong positive predictor of resilience for both nurses and physicians.

Professional and personal factors like work experience and family status influenced resilience differently between the two groups.

Abstract

Introduction: Body image (BI) is a determinant of mental health and has a strong association with self-esteem and self-worth, core elements of resilience. The relationship between BI appreciation and resilience in health professionals (HPs) remains largely unexplored.

Aim: The aim of the study was to compare HPs’ resilience and determine the relationship of resilience with BI appreciation.

Methods: A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted using an online questionnaire that was completed by 484 HPs that included a) demographic and occupational characteristics, b) the Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2), and c) the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10). Data was collected between January and March 2024.

Results: Nurses reported significantly higher BI (3.96 ± 0.60 vs. 3.45 ± 0.73, p < 0.001) and resilience (3.25 ± 0.64 vs. 2.98 ± 0.55, p < 0.001) compared to physicians. Multiple regression analysis identified BI as a strong positive predictor of resilience for both nurses and physicians (p < 0.001). Nurses’ resilience was also positively associated with increased working experience (p = 0.001) and negatively with the managerial position (p < 0.001) and higher level of education (p = 0.003). Physicians’ resilience was also positively linked to cohabitation (p = 0.001) and the existence of children (p = 0.006) while negatively associated with working in internal departments (p = 0.001).

Conclusions: BI appreciation appears to play a significant role in HPs’ resilience, while professional and personal factors influence each group differently. Interventions targeting in enhancing BI appreciation among HPs are suggested.