Body image, self-esteem, and quality of life in children and adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease in a tertiary hospital in South Korea

PURPOSE: This study aimed to examine body image, self-esteem, and quality of life (QOL) in children and adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and to analyze factors influencing QOL. METHODS: This descriptive study involved 87 participants at a tertiary hospital aged 10 to 18 years who were diagnosed with IBD. Body image, self-esteem, and QOL were measured. Descriptive analysis, the independent t-test, the Mann-Whitney U test, analysis of variance, Pearson correlation analysis, and stepwise multiple regression were used for data analysis. RESULTS: The average score was 16.95±3.55 for body image, 31.32±5.25 for self-esteem, and 78.64±15.98 for QOL. Height, weight, hospitalization experience, current symptoms, and consumption of oral steroids showed statistically significant effects on QOL. The most significant predictors of QOL were self-esteem (β=.31, p=.002), body image (β=.28, p=.005), number of symptoms (β=-.25, p=.004), and number of hospitalizations in the last year (β=-.24, p=.004). CONCLUSION: To improve the QOL of children and adolescents with IBD, it is necessary to evaluate self-esteem, body image, and physical problems. In addition, various intervention strategies to improve self-esteem and body image and to reduce physical discomfort should be developed.