Body Image, Depression Symptoms, and Health-Related Quality of Life in Black Women With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Objective: To examine relationships among body image, depression symptoms, and quality of life in Black women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Design: Descriptive, correlational design. Setting/Sample: Using social media advertising, we recruited Black women with self -reported SLE to complete a web -based survey. Results: The female sample (N = 43) was predominantly nonHispanic (80%) and married (58%), with a mean age of 33.5 (SD = 6.9) years. The mean time since SLE diagnosis was 5.9 (SD = 4.0) years. The majority of respondents (51%) reported using oral steroid therapy for disease control. Mean body image and depression scores, 2.0 (SD = 0.6) and 62.4 (SD = 8.5), respectively, differed from population norms of 1.80 (SD = 0.9) and 50 (SD = 10), indicating greater body image disturbance and greater depression symptoms than reported by the general population. Greater body image disturbance was significantly associated with greater depression symptoms and poorer quality of life in the area of role disruption. Conclusion: Depression and body image disturbance among Black women with SLE should be routinely assessed and addressed by nurses and other clinicians to help promote optimal quality of life.