Prevalence and Associated Factors of Body Dissatisfaction in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND: Body dissatisfaction represents a critical yet underprioritized quality-of-life determinant for head and neck cancer survivors. However, existing evidence remains fragmented and contradictory, necessitating methodologically robust systematic assessments to address these uncertainties. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to quantify the pooled prevalence of body dissatisfaction and synthesize its associated factors, informing evidence-based psychosocial interventions. INTERVENTIONS/METHODS: Comprehensive searches were performed in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Sinomed, and CNKI from their inception to July 2025. Two researchers independently screened studies, extracted data, and assessed quality. Quantitative synthesis using Review Manager 5.3 software was applied for eligible data, with qualitative synthesis otherwise. RESULTS: Analysis of 25 studies involving 4662 HNC patients revealed a pooled body dissatisfaction prevalence of 38.00% (95% confidence interval: 0.27-0.49). Key influencing factors identified in meta-analysis ( P