title: Gender differences in the associations of self esteem, stress and social support with functional health status among older adults with heart disease.
abstract: This study explored and compared the role of self esteem, stress and social support in maintenance or improvement in physical and psychosocial functioning over 12 months in older men and women with cardiovascular disease. Data from 502 adults over 60 years of age showed that self esteem and stress were both significantly associated with functioning when demographic and clinical factors were controlled. Men were significantly more likely than women to maintain or improve in functioning. Self esteem, stress, compliance with medication regimens, and marital status were significantly associated with maintenance or improvement of functioning among women. Only age and stress were significantly associated with maintenance or improvement in functioning among men. Findings indicated that: (1) stress and self esteem were stronger predictors of functioning, especially among women, than demographic and clinical factors; and (2) women in the highest quartile of the self esteem distribution were approximately five times as likely to maintain or improve their functioning as women in the lowest quartile.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community and Family Health, University of South Florida College of Public Health, 13201 Bruce B. Downs Boulevard (MDC 56), Tampa, FL 33612-3805, USA.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Forthofer
authors.forename: N K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Janz
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Dodge
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Clark
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012649:Self Concept; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012723:Sex; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires