Journal of Education and Human Development

Body Image and Old Age. Descriptive Study of the Spanish Social Reality
Roberto Sánchez Cabrero PhD., Carmen Maganto Mateo PhD.

Abstract
This article describes the relationship between body image and aging for Spanish people older than 50. To detect the participant’s discourse, focus groups methodology has been implemented. In order to configure the four focus groups proposed, two dichotomous variables have been selected: gender and the presence of a stable romantic relationship. Other variables also considered in the research are the age, the marital status, the opinion of the romantic partner and the place of residence (rural or urban). Considering the discourses shown by the participants, it can be concluded that the gender is the most determining variable regarding appearance concern and body image. Marital status has an opposite effect in men and women and the appearance concern is linked to sexual factors and social pressure for women but only to sexual factors for men. These differences provoke a higher appearance concern in women than in men when both are aging.

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/jehd.v7n1a4