A Mindfulness Breast Care App to reduce body image distress and stigma for breast cancer survivors: Development and preliminary quality assessment.
Shuang Zheng, Wenhe Huang, Xueqin Zhang, Ying Hua, Sally Chan, Shengjie Liu, Yujing Zhong, Xiaoying Jiang, Jiemin Zhu
International Journal of Nursing Sciences May 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijnss.2025.04.007 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Mixed-methods study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 10 |
| Population | Breast cancer survivors in China |
| Intervention | Mindfulness Breast Care App |
| Duration | Three months |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Body image distress Breast cancer Mobile health Quality assessment Stigma Addressing these challenges Innovative application Valuable tool Guided mindfulness sessions Mindfulness interventions High user satisfaction Functionality Information Reliable support |
| Citations | 6 |
| Key points | The MBC App received high ratings for functionality, aesthetics, information quality, and perceived impact, with moderate ratings for engagement and subjective quality, indicating it may be a promising tool for delivering mindfulness interventions to breast cancer survivors. |
Abstract
This study aimed to develop and preliminarily assess the quality of a Mindfulness Breast Care (MBC) App to reduce body image distress and stigma among breast cancer survivors (BCSs). The development process of the MBC App involved: 1) establishing a research group; 2) determining of the content of the MBC App based on Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and 3) technical exploitation and maintenance. A mixed-methods study was conducted. We selected ten BCSs by a convenience sampling method. After using the APP for three months, five assessed the quality using the Mobile App Rating Scale: User Version (uMARS) and another five were interviewed for process evaluation. The MBC App was developed with three modules: 1) Library to provide health education information on body image, stigma, mindfulness, recovery and etc; 2) Mindfulness Yoga to offer 12 Hatha yoga videos for daily practice; and 3) Mindfulness Practices to have 12 sessions of mindfulness videoconferences. Based on the uMARS data, the MBC App received high ratings for functionality (4.10 ± 0.34), aesthetics (3.93 ± 0.55), information quality (4.10 ± 0.72), and perceived impact (4.03 ± 0.96), as well as moderate ratings for engagement (3.72 ± 0.94) and subjective quality (3.87 ± 0.77). Participants indicated that the MBC App provided reliable knowledge, information, and emotional support. Recommendations from participants included categorizing knowledge in the Library Module, recording videoconferences of mindfulness practice, and adding discussion sessions in the videoconference. Afterward, we optimized the MBC App to enhance the user experience accordingly. The MBC App offers online mindfulness interventions specifically for BCSs in China. The preliminary quality assessment indicates that the MBC App may be a promising tool for delivering mindfulness interventions to BCSs.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on meditation, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cites 8
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- Online mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for fatigue in patients with sarcoidosis (TIRED): a randomised controlled trial. The Lancet Respiratory Medicine November 1, 2022
- The effects of mindfulness-based interventions on symptoms of depression, anxiety, and cancer-related fatigue in oncology patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis PLoS One July 14, 2022
- Predictors and Effects of Usage of an Online Mindfulness Intervention for Distressed Cancer Patients: Usability Study. Journal of Medical Internet Research October 2, 2020
- Feasibility and Acceptability of a Mobile Mindfulness Meditation Intervention Among Women: Intervention Study. JMIR mHealth and uHealth June 2, 2020
and 3 more in the library