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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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| Is social engagement linked to body image and depression among aging women? | | Author(s) | Natalie J Sabik |
| Journal title | Journal of Women and Aging, vol 29, no 5, 2017 |
| Publisher | Taylor and Francis, 2017 |
| Pages | pp 405-416 |
| Source | http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0895284... |
| Keywords | Older women ; Physical characteristics [elderly] ; Biological ageing ; Engagement ; Attitude ; Ageing process ; Depression ; Correlation ; United States of America. |
| Annotation | Maintaining an active and engaged social life is a critical component of ageing well, and women are generally more socially active than men. However, as women age, their self-perceptions of their bodies may reduce social behaviours and consequently, increase depressive symptoms. Because little is known about how body image is associated with social engagement and depressive symptoms among ageing women, four aspects of body image were assessed among 123 American women aged 65+ and older (n = 123): satisfaction with cosmetic features, body function, physical appearance, and weight. Regression analyses indicated that cosmetic appearance, body function, and physical appearance were associated with depressive symptoms, whereas satisfaction with weight was unrelated. Further, both greater satisfaction with cosmetic features and body function were associated with higher levels of social engagement, and social engagement mediated the association between these aspects of body satisfaction and depressive symptoms. The findings indicate that specific age-relevant aspects of body satisfaction are linked to social behaviour and depression among ageing women, while reduced body satisfaction may lead to lower social engagement, and consequently ageing women's health and well-being may be diminished. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-180112234 A |
| Classmark | BD: BA: BH: DN: DP: BG: ENR: 49: 7T |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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