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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2025 Aug 12.
Published in final edited form as: J Reconstr Microsurg. 2024 Feb 27;41(1):9–18. doi: 10.1055/a-2277-0236

Table 5.

GEE Models for BREAST-Q Scores Over Time

Physical Well-being of the Chest Physical Well-being of the Abdomen Satisfaction with Breasts Psychosocial Well-being Sexual Well-being
Patient Demographics Beta (95% CI) p-value2 Beta (95% CI) p-value2 Beta (95% CI) p-value2 Beta (95% CI) p-value2 Beta (95% CI) p-value2
Time
 Preop
 2-weeks −14 (−16, −12) <0.001 −26 (−28, −23) <0.001 X X X
 3-months −4.8 (−6.9, −2.7) <0.001 −12 (−14, −9.2) <0.001 15 (13, 18) <0.001 9.4 (6.7, 12) <0.001 4.3 (1.4, 7.1) 0.004
 6-months −1.2 (−3.3, 0.85) 0.2 −7.7 (−10, −5) <0.001 18 (16, 20) <0.001 10 (7.8, 12) <0.001 6.2 (3.5, 8.9) <0.001
 1-year 1.0 (−1.0, 3.1) 0.3 −5.3 (−7.6, −2.9) <0.001 19 (17, 22) <0.001 12 (9.9, 14) <0.001 9.0 (6.3, 12) <0.001
 2-year 2.1 (−0.69, 4.9) 0.14 −5.3 (−8.0, −2.6) <0.001 20 (18, 23) <0.001 12 (9.7, 15) <0.001 11 (7.7, 14) <0.001
Insurance
 Commercial
 Medicaid −1.8 (−4.8, 1.1) 0.2 −0.31 (−3.4, 2.7) 0.8 −0.34 (−3.7, 3.1) 0.8 (−2.2, 4.4) 0.5 −1.5 (−5.4, 2.5) 0.5
 Medicare −3.1 (−5.0, −1.2) 0.002 0.40 (−1.4, 2.2) 0.7 −1.1 (−3.3, 1.1) 0.3 −0.62 (−2.7, 1.5) 0.6 −1.3 (−4.0, 1.3) 0.3
Race
 White
 Asian −3.9 (−6.4, −1.5) 0.002 −2.7 (−5.7, 0.37) 0.084 −0.79 (−3.5, 1.9) 0.6 −4.2 (−7.1, −1.2) 0.007 −2.6 (−5.8, 0.062) 0.11
 Black −3.2 (−5.3, −1.1) 0.004 −3.8 (−5.9, −1.7) <0.001 −1.3 (−3.8, 1.1) 0.3 −1.6 (−3.9, 0.75) 0.2 0.26 (−2.7, 3.2) 0.9
 Other −4.5 (−6.8, −2.3) <0.001 −2.0 (−4.7, 0.71) 0.15 −4.7 (−7.1, −2.2) <0.001 −6.0 (−9.0, −3.0) <0.001 −4.9 (−8.1, −1.6) 0.004
History of psychiatric comorbidities −4.1 (−5.5, −2.6) <0.001 −6.0 (−7.4, −4.5) <0.001 −5.8 (−7.2, −4.3) <0.001 −10 (−12, −8.4) <0.001 −10 (−12, −8.6) <0.001
Median household income 0.000004 (−0.000016, 0.000024) 0.7 0.000008 (−0.00001, 0.00003) 0.4 0.00002 (−0.000003, 0.00004) 0.093 0.00003 (0.000008, 0.00005) 0.008 0.000029 (0.000003, 0.00006) 0.031
Chemotherapy −0.45 (−2.0, 1.1) 0.6 4.3 (2.3, 6.2) <0.001 1.4 (−0.23, 3.1) 0.091 2.8 (0.77, 4.7) 0.007 1.7 (−0.53, 3.9) 0.13
Radiation −1.7 (−4.3, 0.90) 0.2 2.0 (−0.92, 4.8) 0.2 1.0 (−1.9, 3.9) 0.5 3.1 (0.28, 5.9) 0.031 3.0 (−0.73, 6.8) 0.11
Donor site laterality
 Bilateral
 Unilateral 0.79 (−0.89, 2.5) 0.4 2.6 (0.63, 4.5) 0.010 −1.1 (−3.0, 0.78) 0.3 1.0 (−0.96, 3.0) 0.3 0.79 (−1.4, 3.0) 0.5
Prophylactic
 Bilateral
 Not prophylactic −1.4 (−4.8, 2.1) 0.4 −1.9 (−6.1, 2.2) 0.4 −1.3 (−5.2, 2.6) 0.5 −0.14 (−4.3, 4.1) >0.9 −0.46 (−4.6, 3.7) 0.8
 Contralateral −0.67 (−3.9, 2.6) 0.7 −1.1 (−4.7, 2.6) 0.6 0.22 (−3.5, 3.9) >0.9 0.97 (−3.0, 4.9) 0.6 0.82 (−3.1, 4.7) 0.7
Postoperative length of stay −0.0061 (−0.0096, −0.0025) 0.001 −0.0074 (−0.012, −0.003) <0.001 −0.0037 (−0.008, 0.0007) 0.10 −0.0041 (−0.008, 0.0002) 0.064 −0.0054 (−0.01, −0.0005) 0.032
Complications −0.61 (−1.9, 0.69) 0.4 −0.05 (−1.7, 1.6) >0.9 −1.6 (−3.1, −0.10) 0.037 −0.98 (−2.4, 0.42) 0.2 −2.0 (−4.2, 0.24) 0.079