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The purpose of this paper is to examine the uplifting effect of a prototype brassiere that the author developed in Shanghai, China, for Chinese adult females in their early twenties.

The prototype brassiere was designed according to the four breast shapes of Chinese adult females. In total, 40 breast‐related measurement items were used to quantify the body sizes of 20 subjects, who were measured both with and without the brassieres.

The results of the comparison showed significant differences in breast position, the degree of sagging, the distance between the breasts, and the bottom area of the breasts between the two contexts. This study confirms the uplifting effect of the prototype brassiere, which can produce cleavage and elevate breasts.

The findings are based on an experimental method that quantifies the uplifting effect of the prototype brassiere using body measurement data obtained from local women in Shanghai, China. They provide empirical criteria for manufacturing brassieres to the Chinese intimate apparel industry, which lacks a standardized measurement system.

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to examine the evidence behind breast self examination recommendations. Design/methodology/approach – In this paper the recommendations of various professional and specialty organizations are reviewed along with an analysis of the randomized controlled trials that provided data for these recommendations. Methodological issues regarding these trials and the conclusions that can be drawn are evaluated and presented here. Findings – The paper finds that the current evidence is not sufficient to make recommendations to western women for or against breast self‐examination. Practical implications – The paper implies that breast cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in women in the USA. Originality/value – The paper shows that, while mammography and clinical breast examination remain the standard of care in screening for breast cancer, much controversy has surrounded recommendations for breast self‐examination in breast cancer screening.

Discusses the process of introducing a breast health strategy into schools through multi‐disciplinary working. Although breast screening plays an important part in the early detection of breast cancer, up to a third of women do not take up their invitation for screening. It is argued that breast health education is a vital step towards normalising discussions about breasts, promoting breast awareness and countering misconceptions about breast cancer and breast screening. The breast health strategy evolved from a motivation to introduce an educational intervention into schools through a collaboration between school and community. The process included some informal research and evaluation at each stage which helped the team to reflect, and to inform the next stage of the project. This indicated that many teenage girls have misunderstandings, and may benefit from breast health education in schools. Having established the beginnings of a feasible strategy, the need for more systematic research and evaluation is recognised.

The purpose of this paper is to measure the breast volume of a large sample of women and their corresponding correctly fitted bra size, in order to demonstrate the range of volumes within each size and the variation amongst different bra sizes.

Breast volume of 104 women was measured via water displacement and was compared to their professionally fitted bra size, in the one style and brand of bra.

The mean breast volume of the left and right breast was 642 and 643 ml, ranging from 125 (size 10A) to 1,900 ml (size 24DD). The average professionally fitted bra band size was 12 (range size 10‐24; Australian sizing) and cup size was DD (range A‐G). A range of breast volumes was found to correspond to the same bra size and the volume of any one cup size was not homogenous amongst different band sizes.

Appreciating the range of breast volumes that correspond to each bra size is important in terms of both bra structure and design in order to provide adequate breast support. The large variation in cup volumes associated with different band sizes suggests women should not consider themselves to be an isolated cup size, but rather a combination of a band and cup size.

This is the first study to publish normative breast volume data, and the corresponding correctly fitted bra sizes, for a large sample of women. This is important information for bra design and to assist women achieve correct bra fit and support.

The breast is composed of two main types of soft tissues: glandular tissue and adipose tissue. Wearing a brassiere makes them deform easily. In order to design comfortable brassieres by which the body shape is adjusted, it is important to clarify the relationship between the breast deformation and the internal structure of the breast. The purpose of this paper is to assess a method to determine the structure inside the breast. Breast shape comparison was performed to assess the relationship between the external deformation caused by wearing a brassiere and the internal structure of the breast.

The subjects were five adult females. The breast MRI imaging in the sitting position was carried out using the vertical MRI systems under bare breasts condition and under wearing a brassiere condition. By creating 3D images from the MRI images obtained, the internal structure of the breast was determined. The 3D images under the wearing brassiere conditions were superimposed on the images under the bare breasts condition, and the breast shape comparison was performed to assess the relationship between the external deformation caused by wearing a brassiere and the internal structure of the breast.

The internal 3D structure of the breast, which had been unmeasurable in the sitting position, could be obtained using the vertical MRI system. Additionally the effect of wearing a brassiere on the breast was assessed in terms of the relation between the external deformation and the internal structure of the breast.

This paper's results can be utilized for human body model in simulation, and to provide fruitful data for the design of comfortable brassieres.

Esthetic trend changes with the development of society and cultural differences. A minimizer bra designed to make breasts appear smaller is now popular with large-breasted women in China. To conform to the requirements of modern aesthetics in China, this paper aims to investigate vital features of breast appearance that influence people’s subjective evaluation of breast size and analyze how bra design parameters affect breast shape and make breasts appear smaller.

This study used 3D scanning technology and reverse engineering software to obtain objective breast measurements in detail. A subjective evaluation experiment was conducted to evaluate the overall performance of seven minimizer bras compared to a basic comparison bra. Around 20 design parameters of 8 sample bras were identified to make a further study about the correlation between bra design features and breast shaping effect. To gain a deeper understanding of how bras interact with breast tissue, this study presented heat maps of the breast surface to visualize the deformation of breast shape.

Nine breasts' characteristics, such as the distance between bust points, breast depth, outer breast curvature and slope, etc. have been determined to be highly correlated with the visual reduction effect of breasts. In addition, for the bras in this experiment, the high-performance bra for women with large breasts tends to have a wider side panel, a wider under band, higher gore and a stronger transverse rigidity of the bra cup. According to the observation of heat maps of the breast surface, soft full-figure bras provide a wider range of compression to the breasts and effectively flatten the breasts.

This paper first aimed at the need to shape the ideal breast appearance for large-breasted women and make a further study of several hot-selling minimizer bras in China. The suggestions given in this paper help lingerie manufacturers better understand how design features of bras can affect their shaping effect and improve the wearing effect of minimizer bras for large-breasted women.

This chapter focuses on the differences that younger, middle-aged, and older women with breast cancer experience, particularly in health knowledge and treatment. These differential experiences, in part, stem from our youth oriented culture. This ideology extends into medicine and can affect day-to-day medical practice. Differential experiences are, therefore, likely to result in inequality and disparity in health and in healthcare. It is argued that older women are less empowered than their younger counterparts to display the same degree of agency. This analysis has important implications for health care professionals in the treatment of older women with breast cancer.

The sequence of stress, distress and somatization has occupied much of the late twentieth-century psychological research. The anatomy of stress can be viewed from interactional and hybrid theories that suggest that the individual relates with the surroundings by buffering the harmful effects of stressors. These acts or reactions are called coping strategies and are designed as protection from the stressors and adaptation to them. Failure to successfully adapt to stressors results in psychological distress. In some individuals, elevated levels of distress and failed coping are expressed in physical symptoms, rather than through feelings, words, or actions. Such “somatization” defends against the awareness of the psychological distress, as demonstrated in the psychosocial literature. The progression of behavior resulting from somatic distress moves from a private domain into the public arena, involving an elaborate medicalization process, is however less clear in sociological discourse. The invocation of a medical diagnosis to communicate physical discomfort by way of repeated use of health care services poses a major medical, social and economic problem. The goal of this paper is to clarify this connection by investigating the relevant literature in the area of women with breast cancer. This manuscript focuses on the relationship of psychological stress, the stress response of distress, and the preoccupation with one’s body, and proposes a new theoretical construct.

To examine the lived experiences of the biological adult daughters of women with breast cancer.

Family systems theory and phenomenology were used to guide this exploratory, qualitative study. Qualitative data were collected via one-time, semi-structured interviews with adult daughters of women with breast cancer.

Predominant themes included: close mother–daughter relationships, untimely disclosure of information, attentive fathers, optimistic outlooks, and influences on participants’ intimate relationships. Perceived strong familial and intimate relationships prior to breast cancer diagnosis helped ensure that mother–daughter relationships would remain strong, or even improve. Fathers’ attentiveness to mothers was pivotal in determining positive and negative attributes in daughters’ own intimate relationships.

Based on the findings from this study, family scientists and healthcare professionals may have a better understanding of the patients’ young adult daughters’ concerns throughout breast cancer treatment and follow up.

Daughters may be at a loss when their mothers are diagnosed with breast cancer. Healthcare professionals can be equipped to recognize these signs when meeting with patients and families, offer suggestions for family members’ coping, and encourage daughters to consider their own breast cancer risk and screening.

This study will provide a new insight into the experiences of daughters of women with breast cancer, and help family and health professionals understand how to support the relatives of breast cancer patients.

Purpose – The goal of this chapter is to understand the role of nonprofit voluntary health organizations (VHOs) in the lives of Canadian women coping with breast cancer.

Methodology – Through qualitative interviews with breast cancer survivors and records of VHOs active in this field, we assess the level and nature of their interactions and impact on women's quality of life.

Findings – Our findings suggest that at the micro-level, VHOs are venues for women to receive auxiliary services such as information, counseling, and support that complement the mainstream health care provision. While VHO services empower women as health care consumers, we show that they also serve as venues for women to reciprocate by volunteering. This process of reciprocity helps women cope with their own healing and allows them to be not only consumers but also producers of health services.

Research limitations – The non-random nature and the small sample size make our findings not easily generalizable to the larger population of breast cancer survivors; rather they are indicative of the experiences of Canadian women in one large urban metropolitan area.

Value of the chapter – We demonstrate the role of VHOs as venues of health consumerism as well as places for consumers to become involved in the production of services by volunteering.