The goal of this study was to explore the relationship between body image with self-esteem and social support perceived by bum patients. The descriptive survey study was used in 50 patients with the 3rd degree bum. The study was carried out at Chonnam University Hospital in Kwangju, form February to March in 1997. The Measurement tools were body cathexis scale, self-esteem scale and perceived social support scale. To analyze the data t-test, Pearson’s correlation, ANOVA and stepwise multiple regression were used.
The results obtained were summarized as follows;
1. The mean score of body image was 152.5 with a score range form 106 to 203 and that of self-esteem was 33.9 with a range from 19 to 43.
2. The mean score of perceived social support was 80.1 with a range from 64 to 123. The major source of social support was mother and the major types of support were evolutional and emotional.
3. The hypothesis that the higher the social support perceived by the burn patients, the higher the body image degree was supported (r=.3344, p=.0176).
4. The hypothesis that the higher the social support perceived by the bum patients, the higher the self-esteem degree was supported (r=.3984, p=.0052).
5. The body image was significantly affected by the number of admission experience (t=2.53, p=.02)
6. The self esteem degree was significantly affected by the time elapsed after the burn insult(F=3.36, p=.03) and the number of skin graft (F=2.11, p=.04).
7. By using stepwise multiple regression analysis, it was determined that main influencing factor on the body image was social support (11.18%) and those on the self-esteem were social support (15.6%) and time elapsed after the insult of burn (7.89%).
It is concluded that social support in nursing care to burn patients may be effective in establishing positive self-esteem and body image of the patients.
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