Self and Health: Factors Influencing Self-Esteem and Functional Health.

This study investigates whether functional health influences self-esteem and changes in self-esteem, as well as whether self-esteem, worker, parent, and friend identities influence functional health and changes in health. Data were collected in 1992 and 1994 from 737 older workers living in a North Carolina metropolitan area. Functional health is derived from questions asking respondents about their difficulties performing seven activities. Rosenberg's (1965) 10-item scale is used to tap self-esteem, and identities are measured with 10 adjective pairs that cover being competent, confident, and sociable as a worker, parent, and friend. Three findings are of particular interest. First, functional health has a positive effect on self-esteem and encourages increases in self-esteem over two years. Second, self-esteem has a positive effect on functional health and changes in functional health. The influence of self-esteem on functional health is stronger for women and retirees. Third, worker and parent identities impact functional health. Thus, the findings confirm the expectation that health influences self, but also the less well studied expectation that self processes influence health. Individuals may be motivated by their desire to affirm a sense of self-worth and positive identities to maintain and improve their physical health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]