Is a Picture Worth a Thousand Words? Using Photo-Elicitation to Study Body Image in Middle-to-Older Age Women With and Without Multiple Sclerosis

Abstract

In this study, we explored how women with varying relationships to disability and aging used photographs to represent their body image experiences. Seven middle-aged and older adult women with and without multiple sclerosis were asked to provide up to 10 photographs that represented their body image and complete a one-on-one interview. We used reflexive thematic analysis to develop themes and interpret the findings. Overall, the women expressed not only complicated relationships with their bodies, represented through symbolism, scrutiny of body features (e.g., posture, varicose veins, and arthritis) but also deep reflection linked to positive body image and resilience. These findings revealed not only the nuanced experiences women have with aging, disability, and gender but also the commonly experienced ingrained views of body appearance as each participant illustrated a difficult negotiation with the aesthetic dimension of their body image. Finally, we provide important implications of the use of visual methods in body image research.

Using Photographs to Understand the Context of Health: A Novel Two-Step Systematic Process for Coding Visual Data

“…Other photo elicitation studies beyond Photovoice also engaged with participants to take photographs to tell their story or in response to provided photo-taking prompts followed by interviews exploring the photographs ( Bailey et al, 2021 ; Fleury et al, 2009 ; Kolb, 2008 ; Michalek et al, 2020 ; Oliffe & Bottorff, 2007 ; Padgett et al, 2013 ; Rice et al, 2015 ). In these studies, if mentioned, photographs were sorted into researcher-determined categories and/or visual data was coded using a grounded theory, thematic or content analysis approach.…”

The Relationship between Body Image, Disability and Mental Health in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

“…Similar data were found by Sengul et al [21] who added among the causes of body dissatisfaction the following: older age, being single/divorced or widowed, early onset of illness, and relapses frequency. Ageing and the physiological transformation of one's body during the disease phase generates great stress in patients, especially in female patients [22]. However, the incidence of altered body image reported by MS patients is still unclear [23,24], and it is not yet known whether this pathological process is associated with the disease.…”