PERCEPTIONS OF ELDERLY WOMEN ABOUT THEIR CORPOREALITY IN THE AGING PROCESS

The objective of this research was to understand the perception of elderly women about bodily changes in the aging process. The design was qualitative, descriptive and cross-sectional. The study included 11 elderly women, aged between 60 and 69 years, with different levels of education, intentionally selected. The instrument used was a semi-structured interview script. For data analysis, the Bardin Content Analysis method was used. The evaluation of a good body perception throughout life was identified, but without ceasing to present the ambiguities found in the aging of women. A vigilance in maintaining a young and beautiful body coexists, in contrast to a maturity to accept the real body.