An analysis of the association between subjective perception and objective assessment of bra fit quality

Background: Persistent wearing of an ill-fitting bra is a global female health issue. High incidences of poor bra fit have been partially attributed to a lack of knowledge. Bra fit knowledge has not previously been measured through the ability of women to identify bra fit issues. Objectives: The objective was to determine whether women can identify the presence/absence of bra fit issues as a measure of bra fit knowledge. Design Twenty-four women participated in this cross-sectional cohort study. Methods: Participants self-reported bra fit issues subjectively and researchers carried out an objective bra fit assessment based on professional bra fitting criteria. Results were presented descriptively and binary logistic regression statistics were adopted to determine whether subjective responses predicted objective analyses. Results: All participants failed the objective bra fit assessment, with 77 bra fit issues identified in total. Common bra fit issues were cups that were too large (63%, n=15), the front band not in contact with the sternum (58%, n=14) and straps that were too loose (50%, n=12). Participants subjectively reported the absence / presence of bra fit issues accurately in 51% of instances. Of the 77 bra fit issues that were identified in the bra fit assessment, 62% (n=48) were reported subjectively. Of the 67 (47%) bra fit components that were considered a correct fit in objectively, only 26 (39%) were reported by participants. This indicates an over-reporting of bra fit issues by participants. Conclusion: Participants were unable to consistently distinguish between the absence/presence of bra fit issues. In support of previous suggestions, a lack of bra fit knowledge may be a barrier to achieving correct bra fit. Further work is required to improve bra fit knowledge to enable selection of the correct size bra. Potential benefits of improving knowledge include improving bra fit, reducing pain, and improving psychological wellbeing.