Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gbm5v Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T19:59:12.307Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Body image and self-esteem in older adulthood

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 July 2009

LUCIE BAKER  and
EYAL GRINGART
LUCIE BAKER
Affiliation:
School of Psychology and Social Science, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia.
EYAL GRINGART*
Affiliation:
School of Psychology and Social Science, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia.
*
Address for correspondence: Eyal Gringart, School of Psychology, Edith Cowan University, 100 Joondalup Drive, Joondalup, Western Australia6027, Australia. E-mail: e.gringart@ecu.edu.au
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Given global population ageing and the fact that Australia is experiencing a significant increase in the proportion of older adults in its population, research into ageing issues has become a national priority. Whilst body image and self-esteem have been empirically linked, the relationship among older adults has been neglected. This study investigated several body-image variables and their relationship to self-esteem in a sample of 148 men and women aged 65–85 years who were living independently in the Perth Metropolitan Area of Western Australia. They completed the ‘Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale’ and the ‘Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire’. The results indicated, contrary to a common misconception, that body-image concerns are significant to self-esteem in older adulthood, but that these vary by age and gender. Whilst women appear to develop various strategies to counter the effects of ageing, men seem to be more negatively affected, particularly in relation to body functioning. The findings shed light on the meaning of body image in older adulthood. A better understanding of the meaning of body image, of the factors that influence the meaning, and of how these relate to older adults' self-esteem may help older adults develop a positive body image that will contribute to psycho-social strengths and enhance their quality of life.

Keywords

ageingbody imageself-esteem
Type
Submitted Article
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 29 , Issue 6: Discourse, identity and change in mid-to-late life: inter-disciplinary perspectives on language and ageing , August 2009 , pp. 977 - 995
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Australian Bureau of Statistics. 2000. 1996 Census of Population and Housing: Western Australia, Statistical Local Areas, Ranked by Median Personal Income. Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canberra. Available online at http://abs.gov.au [Accessed 10 October 2006].Google Scholar
Baltes, P. B. and Mayer, K. U. (eds)1999. The Berlin Aging Study: Aging from 70 to 100. Cambridge University Press, New York.Google Scholar
Blascovich, J. and Tomaka, J. 1991. Measures of self-esteem. In Robinson, J. P., Shaver, P. R. and Wrightsman, L. S. (eds), Measures of Personality and Social Psychological Attitudes. Academic Press, San Diego, California, 125–60.Google Scholar
Bordo, S. 1993. Unbearable Weight: Feminism, Western Culture and the Body. University of California Press, Los Angeles.Google Scholar
Cash, T. F. 2000. Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire: Users' Manual. Third edition, Thomas F. Cash, Norfolk, Virginia. Available online at http://www.body-images.com/ [Accessed 9 October 2008].Google Scholar
Cash, T. F. 2002. Cognitive-behavioral perspectives on body image. In Cash, T. F. and Pruzinsky, T. (eds), Body Image: A Handbook of Theory, Research, and Clinical Practice. Guilford Press, New York, 38–46.Google Scholar
Cash, T. F. and Fleming, E. C. 2002. The impact of body-image experiences: development of the body image quality of life inventory. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 31, 4, 455–60.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cash, T. F. and Green, G. K. 1986. Body weight and body image among college women: perception, cognition, and affect. Journal of Personality Assessment, 50, 2, 290–301.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cash, T. F., Morrow, J. A., Hrabosky, J. I. and Perry, A. A. 2004. How has body image changed? A cross-sectional investigation of college women and men from 1983 to 2001. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 72, 6, 1081–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Davidson, T. E. and McCabe, M. P. 2005. Relationships between men's and women's body image and their psychological, social, and sexual functioning. Sex Roles, 52, 7/8, 463–75.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dutton, K. R. 1995. The Perfectible Body: The Western Ideal of Male Physical Development. Continuum, New York.Google Scholar
Etcoff, N. 2000. Survival of the Prettiest: The Science of Beauty. Abacus, London.Google Scholar
Feingold, A. and Mazzella, R. 1998. Gender differences in body image are increasing. Psychological Science, 9, 3, 190–5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Franzoi, S. L. and Koehler, V. 1998. Age and gender differences in body attitudes: a comparison of young and elderly adults. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 47, 1, 1–10.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grogan, S. 1999. Body Image: Understanding Body Dissatisfaction in Men, Women, and Children. Routledge, London.Google Scholar
Hetherington, M. M. and Burnett, L. 1994. Ageing and the pursuit of slimness: dietary restraint and weight satisfaction in elderly women. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 33, 3, 391–400.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hubley, A. M. and Quinlan, L. 2005. Body image across the adult lifespan: it's more gender than age. Paper presented at the 113th annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, Washington DC, August. Available online at http://educ.ubc.ca/faculty/hubley/apa2005/bimage.pdf [Accessed 9 October 2008].Google Scholar
Hurd Clarke, L. 2002. Older women's perceptions of ideal body weights: the tensions between health and appearance motivations for weight loss. Ageing & Society, 22, 6, 751–73.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jackson, H. O. and O'Neal, G. S. 1994. Dress and appearance responses to perceptions of aging. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 12, 8–15.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Janelli, L. M. 1993. Are there body image differences between older men and women? Western Journal of Nursing Research, 15, 3, 327–39.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kling, K. C., Hyde, J. S., Showers, C. J. and Buswell, B. N. 1999. Gender differences in self-esteem: a meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 125, 4, 470–500.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kostanski, M., Fisher, A. and Gullone, E. 2004. Conceptualising body image dissatisfaction: have we got it wrong? Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 45, 1, 1–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Krauss Whitbourne, S. and Skultety, K. M. 2002. Body image development: adulthood and aging. In Cash, T. F. and Pruzinsky, T. (eds), Body Image: A Handbook of Theory, Research and Clinical Practice. Guilford, New York, 83–90.Google Scholar
Lamb, C. S., Jackson, L. A., Cassidy, P. B. and Priest, D. J. 1993. Body figure preferences of men and women: a comparison of two generations. Sex Roles, 28, 5/6, 345–58.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lien, A., Pope, H. G. and Gray, J. J. 2001. Cultural expectations of muscularity in men: the evolution of playgirl centerfolds. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 29, 1, 90–3.Google Scholar
McCabe, M. P. and Ricciardelli, L. A. 2004. Body image dissatisfaction among males across the lifespan: a review of the past literature. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 56, 6, 675–85.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Olivardia, R. 2002. Body image and muscularity. In Cash, T. F. and Pruzinsky, T. (eds), Body Image: A Handbook of Theory, Research and Clinical Practice. Guilford, New York, 210–8.Google Scholar
Öberg, P. and Tornstam, L. 1999. Body images among men and women of different ages. Ageing & Society, 19, 5, 629–44.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Paa, H. K. and Larson, L. M. 1998. Predicting level of restrained eating behavior in adult women. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 24, 1, 91–4.3.0.CO;2-W>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Paxton, S. J. and Phythian, K. 1999. Body image, self esteem, and health status in middle and late adulthood. Australian Psychologist, 34, 2, 116–21.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pearlman, S. F. 1993. Late mid-life astonishment: disruptions to identity and self-esteem. In Davis, N. D., Cole, E. and Rothblum, E. D. (eds), Faces of Women and Aging. Haworth, New York, 1–12.Google Scholar
Pliner, P., Chaiken, S. and Flett, G. L. 1990. Gender differences in concern with body weight and physical appearance over the life span. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 16, 2, 263–73.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reboussin, B. A., Rejeski, W. J., Martin, K. A., Callahan, K., Dunn, A. L., King, A. C. and Sallis, J. F. 2000. Correlates of satisfaction with body function and body appearance in middle- and older aged adults: the activity counselling trial. Psychology and Health, 15, 2, 239–54.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robins, R. W., Trzesniewski, K. H., Tracy, J. L., Gosling, S. D. and Potter, J. 2002. Global self-esteem across the lifespan. Psychology and Aging, 17, 3, 423–34.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rosenberg, M. 1965. Society and the Adolescent Self-image. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rusticus, S. A. and Hubley, A. M. 2006. Measurement invariance of the multidimensional body-self relations questionnaire: can we compare across age and gender? Sex Roles, 55, 11/12, 827–42.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schaie, K. W. 1996. Intellectual Development in Adulthood: The Seattle Longitudinal Study. Cambridge University Press, New York.Google Scholar
Schaie, K. W. 2000. The impact of longitudinal studies on understanding development from young adulthood to old age. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 24, 3, 257–66.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schaie, K. W. 2004. Developmental Influences on Adult Intelligence: The Seattle Longitudinal Study. Cambridge University Press, New York.Google Scholar
Stevens, C. and Tiggemann, M. 1998. Women's body figure preferences across the life span. Journal of Genetic Psychology, 159, 1, 94–102.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stormer, S. M. and Thompson, J. K. 1996. Explanations of body image disturbance: a test of maturational status, negative verbal commentary, social comparison, and sociocultural comparison hypotheses. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 19, 2, 193–202.3.0.CO;2-W>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stowers, D. A. and Durm, M. W. 1996. Does self-concept depend on body image? A gender analysis. Psychological Reports, 78, 2, 643–6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Striegel-Moore, R. H. and Franko, D. L. 2002. Body image issues among girls and women. In Cash, T. F. and Pruzinski, T. (eds), Body Image: A Handbook of Theory, Research and Clinical Practice. Guilford, New York, 183–91.Google Scholar
Tabachnick, B. G. and Fidell, L. S. 2001. Using Multivariate Statistics. Fourth edition, Harper Collins College, New York.Google Scholar
Tiggemann, M. 2004. Body image across the adult life span: stability and change. Body Image, 1, 1, 29–41.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tiggemann, M. and Lynch, J. E. 2002. Body image across the life span in adult women: the role of self-objectification. Developmental Psychology, 37, 2, 243–53.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Trzesniewski, K. H., Donnellan, M. B. and Robins, R. W. 2003. Stability of self-esteem across the life span. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84, 1, 205–20.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Underwood, M. 2005. Living as Bodies: The Relationship Between Body and Self at Different Ages. Unpublished PhD thesis, University of Queensland, Brisbane.Google Scholar
Webster, J. and Tiggemann, M. 2003. The relationship between women's body satisfaction and self-image across the life span: the role of cognitive control. Journal of Genetic Psychology, 164, 2, 241–51.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed