Is body image perception and (dis)satisfaction associated with anthropometric profile of older women attending a senior community center?

ABSTRACT

The study aimed to assess the association between body image perception and (dis)satisfaction and the anthropometric profile of older women. Data from 60 women attending a senior community center were analyzed. Body image perception and (dis)satisfaction were considered dependent variables and were assessed using a silhouette scale constructed for the Brazilian population. The independent variables were body mass (BM), body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and calf circumference (CC). The associations were performed by logistic and linear regression models. Half of the participants overestimated their body size and 61.7% were dissatisfied due to excess weight. Overweight older women had 3.6 times higher odds to overestimate body size and 14.4 higher odds to be dissatisfied due to excess weight compared to normal-weight women. The increase in BM, BMI, WC, and CC raised mean difference between perceived and desired BMI and the odds of dissatisfaction due to excess weight. The anthropometric profile was more important to explain (dis)satisfaction than body size perception. The stimulus to changes that provide the adequacy of the anthropometric profile may reduce dissatisfaction due to excess weight among older women.

KEYWORDS:

• Older women
• aging behavior
• anthropometry
• body image dissatisfaction
• body size perception

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the staff and the women attending the senior community center for their important contributions and H. V. Kaufman who provided great language help.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - Brasil (CAPES) - Finance Code 001;Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior [001];