Browse > Article

Factors Influencing Body Image in the Aging Process  

Oh, Keun-Young (Fashion and Textiles Technology, Buffalo State College, State University of New York)
Damhorst, Mary Lynn (Department of Apparel, Educational Studies & Hospitality Management, Iowa State University)
Publication Information
International Journal of Human Ecology / v.9, no.2, 2008 , pp. 55-65 More about this Journal
Abstract
This study examined the personal and relational factors influencing the formation of body image among older persons. Aging-rel￡lted physical changes, health, marital relationship, cognitive age, and moods were personal and relationship factors explained for influence on the body image of older persons. Data were collected via a mail survey of older married couples residing in three US. metropolitan areas of Florida. A total of 94 married couples who were 60 years older participated in this study. Results indicated that aging-related physical changes, effect of physical changes on the self, self-assessed health, and evaluation of spouse's attractiveness, and perceived attractiveness (one's perception of the other spouse's appraisals of his or her attractiveness) were found to be significantly related to the body image of older men and women. For men, self-assessed health, evaluation of spouse's attractiveness, and perceived attractiveness were significantly related to body image while physical changes, effect of physical changes, and perceived attractiveness were found significant for women. The feelings of older persons about and satisfaction with their bodies and appearance were estimated by aging-related and relationship-related variables.
Keywords
body image; aging-related physical changes; self-assessed health; cognitive age; marital relationship;
Citations & Related Records
연도 인용수 순위
  • Reference
1 Garner, D. M. (1997). The 1997 body image survey results. Psychology Today, 30(1), pp. 30, 32, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 75-76, 84
2 Cockerham, W. C. (1991). This aging society. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall
3 DelRosario, M. W., Brines, J. L., & Coleman, W. R. (1984). Emotional response patterns to body weight-related cues: Influence of body weight image. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 10, 369-375   DOI
4 Dewberry, C., & Ussher, J. M. (1994). Restraint and perception of body weight among British adults. The Journal of Social Psychology, 134, 609-619   DOI   ScienceOn
5 Goldsmith, R. E., & Heiens, R. A. (1992). Subjective age: A test of five hypotheses. The Gerontologist, 32, 312-317   DOI   ScienceOn
6 Lawton, M. P., Kleban, M. H., Dean, J., Rajagopal, D., & Parmelee, P. A. (1992). The factorial generality of brief positive and negative affect measures. Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 47, 228-237   DOI
7 May, B. A. (1991). The interaction between ratings of self, peers; perceptions, and reflexive self-ratings. The Journal of Social Psychology, 13, 483-493
8 Parker, S., Nichter, M., Nichter, M., Vuckovic, N., Sims, C., & Ritenbaugh, C. (1995). Body image and weight concerns among African American and White adolescent females: Differences that make a difference. Human Organization, 54, 103-113   DOI
9 Sontag, S. (1979). The double standard of aging. In J. H. Williams (Eds.), Psychology of aging (pp.462-478). New York: W. W. Norton & Company
10 Tucker, L. A. (1982). Effect of a weight-training program on the self-concepts of college males. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 54, 1055-1061   DOI   ScienceOn
11 Wilkes, R. E. (1992). A structural modeling approach to the measurement and meaning of cognitive age. Journal of Consumer Research, 19, 292-301   DOI   ScienceOn
12 Brown, T. A., Cash, T. F., & Noles, S. W. (1986). Perceptions of physical attractiveness among college students: Selected determinants and methodological matters. The Journal of Social Psychology, 126, 305- 316   DOI   ScienceOn
13 Kastenbaum, R., Derbin, V., Sabatini, P., & Artt, S. (1972). "The ages of me" toward personal and interpersonal definitions of functional aging. Aging and Human Development, 3, 197-211   DOI
14 Barak, B., & Rahtz, D. R. (1989). Cognitive age and youthfulness: Demographic and psychographic dimensions. In R. E. Kriner & G. R. Baker (Eds.), Advances in Health Care Research (pp. 47-51). Silver Springs, MD: American Association for Advances in Health Care Research
15 Brown, T. A., Cash, T. F., & Mikulka, P. J. (1990). Attitudinal body-image assessment: Factor analysis of the body-self relations questionnaire. Journal of Personality Assessment, 55, 135-144   DOI
16 Ichiyama, M. A. (1993). The reflected appraisal process in small-group interaction. Social Psychology Quarterly, 56(2), 87-99   DOI   ScienceOn
17 Loomis, R. A., & Thomas, C. D. (1991). Elderly women in nursing home and independent residence: Health, body attitudes, self-esteem and life satisfaction. Canadian Journal of Aging, 10, 224-231   DOI
18 Franzoi, S. L., Kessenich, J. J., & Sugrue, P. A. (1989). Gender differences in the exercise of body awareness: An experiential sampling study. Sex Roles, 21, 499-515   DOI
19 Koenig, L. J., & Wasserman, E. L. (1995). Body Image and dieting failure in college men and women: Examining links between depression and eating problems. Sex Roles, 32, 225-249   DOI   ScienceOn
20 Webb, L., Delaney, J. D., & Young, L. R. (1989). Age, interpersonal attraction and social interaction. Research on Aging, 11, 107-123   DOI   ScienceOn
21 Cash, T. F. (1994). The multidimensional body-self relations questionnaire users' manual. Norfolk, VA: Old Dominion University
22 Curran, S. L., Andrykowski, M. A., & Studts, J. L. (1995). Short form of the Profile of Mood States (POMS-SF): Psychometric information. Psychological Assessment, 7, 80-83   DOI   ScienceOn
23 Maximin, A. (1989). Body image, depression, and selfesteem in an aging population. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Norfork, VA: Old Dominion University
24 Passman, V. F. (1995). Attachment, coping, and adjustment to aging in elderly women. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Long Island University
25 Mead, G. H. (1934). Mind, self, and society: From the standpoint of a social behaviorist. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press
26 Booth A., Johnson, D., & Edwards, J. N. (1983). Measuring marital instability. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 45, 387-394   DOI   ScienceOn
27 Gupta, M. A., Schork, N. J., & Dhaliwal, J. S. (1993). Stature, drive for thinness and body dissatisfaction: A study of males and females from a non clinical sample. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 38, 59-61   DOI
28 Landau, T. (1989). About faces. New York : Anchor Books
29 Wilcox, S. (1997). Age and gender in relation to body attitudes. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 21, 549-565   DOI   ScienceOn
30 Hennessy, C. H. (1989). Culture in the use, care, and control of the aging body. Journal of Aging Studies, 3, 39-54   DOI   ScienceOn
31 Rierdan, J., & Koff, E. (1997). Weight, weight-related aspects of body image, and depression in early adolescent girls. Adolescence, 32, 615-624
32 Davis, C., & Katzman, M. (1997). Charting new territory: Body esteem, weight satisfaction, depression, and self-esteem among Chinese males and females in Hong Kong. Sex Roles, 36, 449-459   DOI   ScienceOn
33 Grubb, H. J., Sellers, M. I., & Waligroski, K. (1993). Factors related to depression and eating disorders: Self-esteem, body image, and attractiveness. Psychological Reports, 72, 1003-1010   DOI   ScienceOn
34 Shacham, S. (1983). A shortened version of the Profile of Mood States. Journal of Personality Assessment, 47, 305-306   DOI   ScienceOn
35 Barak, B. (1998). Inner-ages of middle-aged primelifers. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 46, 189-228   DOI   ScienceOn
36 Fallon, A. (1990). Cultural in the mirror: Sociocultural determinants of body image. In T. F. Cash & T. Pruzinsky (Eds.), Body images: Development, deviance, and change (pp. 80-109). New York: Guilford
37 Schumm, W. R., Milliken, G. A., Poresky, R. H., Bollman, S. R., & Jurich, A. P. (1983). Issues in measuring marital satisfaction in survey research. International Journal of Sociology of the Family, 13, 129-143
38 Fisher, S. (1964). Sex differences in body perception. Psychological Monographs, 78(14), 1-22
39 Roberto, K. A., & McGraw, S. (1991). Self-perceptions of older women with osteoporosis. Journal of Women and Aging, 3, 59-70
40 Keyes, R. (1980). The height of your life. Boston: Little, Brown and Company
41 Ross, M. J., Tait, R. C., Grossberg, G. T., Handal, P. J., Brandeberry, L., & Nakra, R. (1989). Age differences in body consciousness. Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 44, 23-24
42 Cash, T. F., & Hicks, K. L. (1990). Being fat versus thinking fat: Relationship with body image, eating behaviors, and well-being. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 14, 327-341   DOI
43 Norton, R. (1983). Measuring marital quality: A critical look at the dependent variable. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 45, 141-151   DOI   ScienceOn
44 Calahan, C. A. (1996). Correlations of scores on the Kansas Marital Satisfaction scale and the Quality Marriage Index. Psychological Reports, 78, 530   DOI