Appearance management effect and self-conquest of physical and psychological changes in middle-aged women’s lifespan

Abstract

Advancements in technology extend the average human life expectancy; therefore, the period of the middle-age is substantially emphasized in related studies. This study aimed to identify the clothing behaviors and appearance management methods to improve the quality of life (QOL) of middle-aged women—who are often ignored by society—in maintaining their health and a high QOL. The objectives are: First, identifying the major period of physical or/and psychological change for middle-aged women in their overall lives. Second, identifying cases of self-conquest of women’s physical or/and psychological change and effects of appearance management on appearance satisfaction. Third, identifying effects of appearance satisfaction on self-esteem. This study was conducted with 40middle-aged Korean women over the age of 50, residing in and around Seoul between April and May 2018. A5-point Likert scale and open-ended questions on the appearance management effect and self-conquest of physical and psychological changes were used. Participants over the age of 50who had experienced menopause selected the period of menopause as the major period of physical or/and psychological change. Of the participants, 70% had experienced appearance management and recovered from any difficulties from their physical or/and psychological change. They identified ways to manage their appearance and enjoyed these processes. Middle-aged women who were highly satisfied with their self-appearance showed high self-esteem.