The aim of this study was to investigate the association between menopausal
stage and age and women's perception of their body image. Females from a c
ommunity sample (n = 304, age range from 35 to 65 years) volunteered to com
plete a structured questionnaire which contained the Multidimensional Body
Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ) and the Stunkard Body Shape Figure Sca
le. One hundred and twenty women were premenopausal, 76 women were perimeno
pausal and 108 were postmenopausal. The effects of age and menopausal stage
could not be separated in ratings of appearance evaluation, fitness evalua
tion, cut-rent, ideal and societal ratings of the Stunkard Body Shape Figur
e Scale. Premenopausal women (who were likely to be younger) had more posit
ive ratings of appearance evaluation and fitness evaluation than menopausal
women (who were likely to be older). Women who were premenopausal nominate
d smaller figures from the Stunkard Body Shape Figure Scale for ratings of
the current, ideal and societal body shape than women who were perimenopaus
al and postmenopausal. The implications of these findings as they relate to
women as they progress through the menopausal transition and as they becom
e older is discussed.