(PS13-A17) The Prospective Relation of Body Dissatisfaction to Health and Wellness Behaviors in Women Across the Lifespan

Emerging research suggests that body dissatisfaction (BD) remains highly prevalent across the lifespan. Among midlife and older women, prevalence rates of BD range from 47-89%. Of note, robust evidence exists suggesting that body dissatisfaction (BD) is both a cross-sectional and prospective risk factor for negative health outcomes in young women and girls, even beyond eating disorders. For instance, BD is associated with depression, unhealthy weight control behaviors, and smoking. In adolescent girls, BD prospectively predicts depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, and worse self-esteem. Despite this known prospective risk of BD, few studies have examined the prospective relations between BD and health outcomes and behaviors in midlife or older samples. The current longitudinal study investigated the prospective relations of BD with health behaviors, wellbeing, and quality of life (QOL) over the course of one year among an age-diverse sample of adult women.

Participants completed the self-report measures of BD, psychosocial wellbeing, health behaviors, and QOL at baseline (T1) and 12-month follow-up (T2). Participants (N =231) were women aged 18-86 (M=39.79, SD=12.67) and predominantly Non-Hispanic White (83.1%). A series of multiple linear regression models were used to address study aims. Regression models included T1 BD, T1 age, and their interaction as predictors (x) of health outcomes at T2 (y). The primary effect of interest was the interaction between T1 BD and T1 age across models. When a significant interaction was detected between continuous predictors, age was partitioned into three age categories (18-29, 30-49, 50+) to increase interpretability. A separate series of regressions were calculated to examine the relationship between T1 BD and T2 health outcome variables across each age categories. Finally, Fisher r to z transformations were completed to examine variability in the magnitude of the correlations between T1 BD and T2 outcomes across age groups.

Greater BD at T1 prospectively predicted greater psychosocial impairment (p < .001) and poorer QOL across 3 domains (physical, psychological, environmental; all p’s ≤ .009) one year later, regardless of age. There was one significant interaction (T1 BD x T1 age) detected on T2 negative affect (F(3, 228) = 45.09, p = .02). When partitioned by age category, T1 BD predicted T2 negative affect for all age groups; higher levels of BD were associated with greater negative affect. Fisher r to z transformations indicated a significant difference in the correlation of T1 BD and T2 negative affect between the youngest age group and the two older age groups (p range = .019-.026); the correlation was significantly stronger in the younger group compared to other age categories.

Findings indicate that BD prospectively predicted poorer health and wellness one year later, regardless of age, suggesting that the negative consequences of BD affect women of all ages, with the exception of negative affect. Future research into interventions for BD among age-diverse populations is warranted and may improve health indices beyond eating disorders for women.