aUniversity of Houston, Department of Educational Psychology, 4800 Calhoun Rd, EPSY, Farish Hall, Houston, TX 77004, United States;bMichael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 2002 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX 77030, United States
Abstract:
Incisional hernias form after surgery through incision sites and can enlarge over time. Relations between body image (BI) and health locus of control (HLC) were investigated in male patients undergoing evaluation for incisional hernia repair (n = 32) and non-hernia controls (n = 34). Analyses revealed that patients with incisional hernias reported significantly less satisfaction with general appearance and appearance of the mid-torso than non-hernia controls. Although HLC beliefs did not vary by group, post hoc analyses revealed several significant relations between BI factors and HLC beliefs. Results suggest that poor BI is a significant area of concern among patients with incisional hernias.