Body Image in Older Adults: Links with Religion and Gender

摘要

Research has confirmed a healthy link betweenyoung adults' religiosity and body image. This studyexplored this relationship in 127 older men and women(mean = 74 years) who completed measures on twodimensions of body image (body satisfaction and anxietyabout an aging appearance) and on different indices ofreligiosity. Men reported higher body satisfaction andlower anxiety about an aging appearance than women. Formen, body satisfaction correlated with many religiosityvariables and was predicted by religious well-being, exis-tential well-being, and manifestation of God in their body;aging-appearance anxiety was unrelated to religiosity. Forwomen, body satisfaction was weakly related to religiositybut aging-appearance anxiety was predicted by intrinsicorientation, religious well-being, and existential well-being; in all cases higher religiosity predicted lower anxi-ety about an aging appearance. Results are discussed in thecontext of differing cultural standards of aging andattractiveness for men and women.