There is a large literature on the association between body image and women’s mental
and physical health. However, this work has focused on young women’s appearance concerns.
For older women, body concerns may center on age-related changes in both appearance and
functioning. In this dissertation, I draw upon theories of aging and body image to theorize
predictors and outcomes associated with older women’s body perceptions; this model is tested in
three studies using data from two samples of community-based women (African American and
European American) aged 65 and older.