Effect of illness perception on predicting breast cancer‐related lymphedema risk management behaviours among breast cancer patients: A comparison between dimensions and profiles.

Aim: This study aimed to explore the utility of latent profile analysis of illness perception, in comparison to treating illness perception as several dimensions, to predict breast cancer‐related lymphedema risk management behaviours among Chinese breast cancer patients. Methods: This is a 3‐month longitudinal study. From August 2019 to January 2021, patients who recently underwent breast cancer surgery including axillary lymphadenectomy were recruited. Illness perception and risk management behaviours were measured by breast cancer‐related lymphedema specific questionnaires before discharge following surgery (n = 268) and at 3 months postsurgery (n = 213), respectively. Results: Treating illness perception as several dimensions, 'illness coherence' and 'timeline (cyclical)' dimensions were found to be significantly associated with breast cancer‐related lymphedema risk management behaviours. Using the latent profile analysis, two illness perception profiles were identified and significant differences were revealed in breast cancer‐related lymphedema risk management behaviours between them. Overall, illness perception profiles explained smaller amounts of variability in breast cancer‐related lymphedema risk management behaviours than illness perception dimensions. Conclusion: Future studies could combine these two different perspectives of illness perception regarding breast cancer‐related lymphedema into the design of interventions to improve breast cancer‐related lymphedema risk management behaviours. Summary statement: What is already known about this topic? Risk management behaviours are essential to reduce the risk and severity of breast cancer‐related lymphedema (BCRL).Illness perception is a modifiable predictor of BCRL risk management behaviours.Traditional correlation or regression analysis treat illness perceptions as several isolated elements and make it difficult to synthesize our understanding of it. What this paper adds Treating illness perceptions as several isolated elements, illness coherence and timeline (cyclical) were main components predicting BCRL risk management behaviours.Treating illness perception as a whole, latent profile analysis assigned breast cancer patients into two distinct profiles with similar illness perception.Illness perception dimensions and illness perception profiles showed certain effects on predicting BCRL risk management behaviours. The implications of this paper This study adds our knowledge of illness perception regarding BCRL and its effect on predicting BCRL risk management behaviours.The two analysis approaches provided different perspectives on the design and implementation of future intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]