Sarah Y Liu1, Carsten Wrosch2, Alexandre J S Morin3, Amélie Quesnel-Vallée4, Jens C Pruessner5. 1. Department of Psychology and Centre for Research in Human Development, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada. Electronic address: sarah.liu06@gmail.com. 2. Department of Psychology and Centre for Research in Human Development, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada. Electronic address: carsten.wrosch@concordia.ca. 3. Department of Psychology and Centre for Research in Human Development, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada. 4. Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Occupational Health and Department of Sociology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada. 5. Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.
Abstract
RATIONALE: Self-esteem is an adaptive personality factor that has been associated with good physical health. While research has observed that self-esteem and physical health typically decline in older adulthood, there is a paucity of research investigating the associations between changes in self-esteem and physical health across the adult lifespan. OBJECTIVE: The present study examined whether changes in selfesteem and chronic disease exert reciprocal effects on subsequent changes in self-esteem and disease. In addition, it investigated whether individuals' age would moderate these associations. METHODS: The study analyzed data from 14,117 adult (18+) Canadians who completed surveys over 16 years, from cycles 1 to 9 of the National Population Health Survey (NPHS). Self-esteem, chronic diseases, and demographic information were collected. RESULTS: Cross-lagged panel analyses indicated reciprocal age-related associations between changes in self-esteem and chronic disease. Initial decline in self-esteem predicted subsequent increases in chronic disease, and initial increases in chronic disease predicted subsequent declines in self-esteem, only among young adults, and not middle-aged or older adults. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that age may qualify the associations between declines in self-esteem and physical health and that adverse changes in both factors may be particularly problematic for young adults' prospective personality functioning and physical health. Crown
RATIONALE: Self-esteem is an adaptive personality factor that has been associated with good physical health. While research has observed that self-esteem and physical health typically decline in older adulthood, there is a paucity of research investigating the associations between changes in self-esteem and physical health across the adult lifespan. OBJECTIVE: The present study examined whether changes in selfesteem and chronic disease exert reciprocal effects on subsequent changes in self-esteem and disease. In addition, it investigated whether individuals' age would moderate these associations. METHODS: The study analyzed data from 14,117 adult (18+) Canadians who completed surveys over 16 years, from cycles 1 to 9 of the National Population Health Survey (NPHS). Self-esteem, chronic diseases, and demographic information were collected. RESULTS: Cross-lagged panel analyses indicated reciprocal age-related associations between changes in self-esteem and chronic disease. Initial decline in self-esteem predicted subsequent increases in chronic disease, and initial increases in chronic disease predicted subsequent declines in self-esteem, only among young adults, and not middle-aged or older adults. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that age may qualify the associations between declines in self-esteem and physical health and that adverse changes in both factors may be particularly problematic for young adults' prospective personality functioning and physical health. Crown
Authors: Dallal Fracso; Gérard Bourrel; Christian Jorgensen; Hélène Fanton; Hein Raat; Alberto Pilotto; Graham Baker; Marta M Pisano; Rosanna Ferreira; Verushka Valsecchi; Yves-Marie Pers; Agnes Oude Engberink Journal: Health Expect Date: 2022-01-10 Impact factor: 3.318