Although there are many studies regarding body image of
younger people, there have been few studies on that of older
people. Since today's culture considers the young, thin
body image ideal, it is important to investigate body image
of older people and the relationships between their body
image, self esteem, and clothing behavior. The purpose of
this study was to determine the relationships between 1)
body-cathexis and self-esteem, 2) body-cathexis and clothing
behavior, 3) self-esteem and clothing behavior, 4) body cathexis
and demographics, and 5) demographics and clothing
behavior of selected men and women aged 55 years and older.
Data were obtained from 67 men and 75 women aged 55 years
and older who were members of senior centers and local
churches located in Atlanta, Georgia. The questionnaire
regarding body cathexis, self-esteem, clothing behavior, and
demographics was administered through a mail survey. Body cathexis
consisted c: five areas of body parts. A
modification of Rosenberg's self-esteem scale was used with
a 4-point Likert scale. The clothing behavior variable had seven dimensions.
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