Imagem corporal e qualidade de vida em mulheres de meia idade e idosas: um estudo transversal

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The successive increase in female life expectancy has fostered a gradual interest in issues related to female aging. Among them, the perception of body image can have important consequences on health and quality of life, being related to conditions such as depression, eating disorders, low self-esteem and self-confidence. Thus, knowing the relationship in which the women’s aging maintains with her body and its possible implications on her quality of life are fundamental for health professionals to consider, in their routines, the impact that this can cause on the physical, psychological, emotional and mental, dimensions aiming, always, the best health carefor women in the aging process. OBJECTIVES: 1) To analyze the relationship between body image and quality of life in middle-aged women; 2) To investigate the relationship between weight gain and body image perception in menopausal and elderly women. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out with a sample of women aged between 40 to 80 years old, living in Parnamirim/RN and Santa Cruz/RN. Sociodemographic data, anthropometric and body composition measurements, hormonal and biochemical measurements, hypertension, depression, reproductive history, physical activity, quality of life and body image perception were collected. For the statistical analysis, Multiple Linear Regression Analysis was performed for the UQoL domains and the total score was adjusted by the covariables who presented p <0.20 in the bivariate analysis. In addition, the identification of possible factors associated with poor perception of body image was performed by binary logistic regression analysis, with a corresponding odds ratio (OR) calculation. It was considered p <0.05 at all stages of the statistical analysis. RESULTS: Body image perception was related to all domains of quality of life, including total score, except for the occupational domain. Women who were dissatisfied due to the low weight, when compared to those satisfied with their body image, presented significantly lower scores in the health, emotional and total Uqol scores. Those who were unsatisfied with excess weight had lower Uqol scores for the health, emotional, sexual domains as well as the total score compared to those satisfied with body image. Regarding the variables that relate to poor perception of body image, we have: BMI, total cholesterol, physical activity and parity, all with p values lower than 0.05. The results show that with each increase in BMI, women were 1.27 times more likely to be dissatisfied with their body image, as well as women with borderline and high cholesterol (OR = 2.48). In addition, women who do not regularly exercise were 2.35 times more likely to be dissatisfied with their body image, while the highest number of children was a protection factor in relation to poor body image perception OR = 0,83. CONCLUSION: The dissatisfaction with body image is related to poorer quality of life in middle-aged and elderly women. In addition, those women with higher BMI, borderline and high cholesterol and those who do not practice physical activity are more likely to be dissatisfied with their body image.