• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.112-124
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• 2019

This study investigated the effects of perceived ageism on appearance related quality of life through appearance satisfaction among older Korean women. Testing the proposed model showed associations among variables and the mediating effects of appearance satisfaction in the relationship between perceived ageism and appearance related psychological and social quality of life. Structural equation modeling analyses upheld the proposed model for 221 women aged 60 and over. The results revealed that older women's perception of ageism negatively influenced appearance satisfaction that subsequently affected perceived levels of both psychological and social quality of life in a negative direction. The direct effects of perceived ageism on both psychological and social quality of life were not found; however, the indirect effects of perceived ageism on these two variables through appearance satisfaction were found significant and negative. This indicated a fully mediating effect of appearance satisfaction in the relationships. The results of this study highlight that perceptions of ageism and its association with body image should be considered to understand the overall quality of life among older women.