Relationship between Self-Care Behavior and Body Image Concerns in Hemodialysis Patients in Sari, Iran: The mediating Role of Religious Coping

Background and Purpose: Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a globally prevalent and often life-threatening disease that carries immense psychological burdens, such as body image concerns. Therefore, identifying protective psychological factors affecting body image concerns in CKD patients is of strong relevance. This study investigates the potential mediating role of religious coping in the relationship between self-care behavior and body image concerns among Iranian patients undergoing hemodialysis. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional design was used to evaluate body image concerns, religious coping, and self-care behavior in a convenience sample of 280 hemodialysis patients. Measurements included demographic factors, health characteristics, and valid instruments of study structures. Path analysis was used to evaluate mediating models. Results: The results showed a significantly negative relationship between self-care behavior and body image concerns (B=-0.162, β=-0.140, P=0.020). Additionally, variables of age (B=-0.164, β=-0.163, P=0.07), gender (B=4.169, β=0.154, P=0.011), and self-care behavior (B=-0.162, β=-0.140, P=0.020) were found to predict body image concerns in patients undergoing hemodialysis. These variables explained 7.5% of the predictors. The findings indicated a direct path from self-care behavior (β=-0.015, P=0.002) to body image concerns. However, when religious coping was introduced as a mediating variable, the relationship between self-care behavior and body image concerns became significant (β=0.020, =0.012, P). Conclusion: In this study, religious coping clarified the relationship between self-care behavior and concerns about body image to some extent. In countries such as Iran, where religiosity is an important psychological construct, the findings can explain why religious people experience less concern about their body image changes.