Appearance Consciousness and Self-Images of Older Adults Among Older Women

A Study Controlling for Health Status and Demographic Factors

Abstract

The image of older adults that older adults have of their own generation is known to influence their interests and behaviors. In particular, previous research on the appearance of older adults has shown that older women with positive perceptions of their generation tend to be more concerned about their clothing. In this study, 410 older women (M = 71.98, 65–88 years) were surveyed to determine the relationship between their image of older adults and attention to grooming and fashion, considering whether associations can be found regardless of health and demographic variables. These results suggest that improving the image of older adults may reduce their resistance to dressing up their appearance. This is expected to contribute to the improvement of health and social participation of older adults.