Adolescent self-esteem: a foundational disposition.

Based on results of a concept synthesis and concept derivation, an argument is made that self-esteem is a human foundational disposition within the self-care deficit theory of nursing and, as such, is a component of an individual's self-care agency. Guided by research literature, the basic conditioning factors of age, gender, developmental state, family systems, sociocultural orientation, health state, and environmental factors are discussed in regard to their influence on the adolescent's developing self-esteem and emerging self-care agency.