Title

Women'S Perceived Body Image: Relations With Personal Happiness

Keywords

Aging; Body image; Happiness; Subjective well-being

Abstract

The present study examined the relationships between body image and happiness in adult women. One hundred and forty-four women, with an average age of 40 years, were surveyed. Within the sample, three age groups were established: college-aged women, middle-aged women, and older women. Each participant completed the Body Esteem Scale (Franzoi & Shields, 1984), the Eating Attitudes Test (Garner & Garfinkel, 1979), and the Life Satisfaction Index A (Neugarten, Havighurst, & Tobin, 1961). Results indicated that happiness significantly and positively correlated with the three components of body esteem: sexual attractiveness, weight concern, and physical condition. There were no significant differences among the types of body satisfaction expressed by women of different ages. The results are discussed in terms of the importance of recognizing body image as a major contributor to overall life happiness in women. © 2003 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

Publication Date

11-19-2003

Publication Title

Journal of Women and Aging

Volume

15

Issue

1

Number of Pages

17-29

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1300/J074v15n01_03

Socpus ID

0037505842 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/0037505842

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