Gender differences in inflammatory bowel disease: Explaining body image dissatisfaction.

The aim of this study was to examine the role of body image problems in the context of inflammatory bowel disease and to explore gender differences in these associations. A sample of inflammatory bowel disease patients (60 males and 140 females) was collected. Findings from a multi-group analysis show that inflammatory bowel disease symptomatology may impact on body image in both male and female patients through the effect of body-image-related cognitive fusion. Body image difficulties in the context of inflammatory bowel disease should not be a neglected dimension in research aiming at understanding the psychosocial effects of inflammatory bowel disease and by health professionals working with these patients.