A study on the aesthetic cosmetic surgery in nursing students: Q-methodology

Abstract

Background/Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify the subjectivity of aesthetic cosmetic surgery recognized by nursing students.

Method/Statistical analysis: This study was to describe the characteristics of each type, to identify the types of aesthetic cosmetic surgery, and Q methodology was applied. The 30 nursing students from ‘A’ University were asked to classify 47 statements about aesthetic cosmetic surgery.

Findings: The collected data were analyzed using QUANL PC program. In this study, nursing students classified the perception of aesthetic cosmetic surgery into 4 factors. Factor 1 was 30.80%, Factor 2 was 8.04%, Factor 3 was 5.85% and Factor 4 was 5.36%. Factor 1 has an explanatory power of 30.80%, which can be regarded as the most explaining factor for aesthetic cosmetic surgery. Of the total of 30 subjects, 8 were in Factor 1, 4 were in Factor 2, 9 were in Factor 3, and 9 were in Factor 4. Each factor corresponds to a group with similar responses to aesthetic cosmetic surgery. The subjectivity types for aesthetic cosmetic surgery were ‘Deliberate type’, ‘Positive type’, ‘Supporting type’ and ‘Conservative stance type’.

Improvements/Applications: The study identified the perception of aesthetic cosmetic surgery in nurses in the clinical field and provided basic data on education.