Clothing attitudes of elderly female Tennesseans as related to life satisfaction and social participation

The purpose of this study was to investigate relationships among the elderly's attitudes toward clothing variables of thermal, psychological, and physical comfort, and care in regard to life satisfaction and social participation. The influence of sociodemographic factors such as income and educational attainment on these attitudes suggested the importance of such variables among a diverse group of Tennessee's elderly females as related to life satisfaction and social participation.

The sample consisted of 150 females who were 55 years of age or older, living in the middle Tennessee area. A survey approach was utilized and data were collected by means of a questionnaire. The instruments measured attitudes toward clothing, level of social participation, life satisfaction and identified selected sociodemographic characteristics. Six hypotheses were tested using nonparametric Chi-square and Kruskal-Wal1 is analysis of variance in addition to Somer's D techniques of analysis.

Individuals had relatively positive attitudes toward clothing (physical comfort, psychological comfort, thermal comfort and care). However, significant relationships were not found between the clothing variables and the sociodemographic factors. Relationships were found between social participation and current employment status as well as educational attainment. Other relationships existed between life satisfaction and income and between life satisfaction and education.

A moderately low association existed between life satisfaction and social participation. A low association existed between psycho logical comfort and care.