[Body image and physical well-being in old age].
The present paper examined the connection between a negative body image and body complaints in N = 788 persons above 60 years of age from the general population. From a psychosomatic view, it is to be expected that psychological adjustment problems to the aging body are accompanied by physical complaints. A cluster analysis resulted in a group of older people with a strongly negative body image and a high degree of body complaints. This group is mainly formed by women, persons in high age, elderly alone living and persons with little social support. A second cluster includes persons with a positive body image and few body complaints. These are mainly younger persons, men, persons with a high degree of social support and older people living in a partnership. A further cluster includes persons with a very negative body image, however, with few body complaints. These persons are younger and more often live in a partnership, compared to the elderly with negative body image and a high degree of body complaints. A fourth cluster represents persons with a low degree of a negative body image and few body complaints. Their vitality and physical well-being, however, are also low. The study confirms that body complaints are partly determined by the body image. Sex, life in partnership and social support are risk or protective factors, respectively.
Albani
Cornelia
C
Klinik für Psychotherapie und Psychosomatische Medizin, Universitätsklinikum Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. Cornelia.albani@medizin.uni-leipzig.de
Gunzelmann
Thomas
T
Brähler
Elmar
E
D000368:Aged; D001828:Body Image; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012649:Self Concept; D020886:Somatosensory Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*