title: Self-esteem, stress and self-rated health in family planning clinic patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The independent effects of stress on the health of primary care patients might be different for different types of clinic populations. This study examines these relationships in a low-income female population of patients attending a family planning clinic.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study investigated the relevance of different sources of personal stress and social support to self-rated health, adjusting for mental health, health behavior and demographic characteristics of subjects. Five hundred women who attended family planning clinics were surveyed and 345 completed the form for a response rate of 72 percent.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that liking oneself was related to good self-rated health (Odds ratio = 7.11), but stress or support from children, parents, friends, churches or spouses were not significant. White non-Hispanic and non-white non-Hispanic respondents had lower odds of reporting good self-rated health than Hispanic respondents (odds ratios were 2.87 and 2.81, respectively). Exercising five or more days per week also was related to good self-rated health. Smoking 20 or more cigarettes per day, and obese III were negatively related to good self-rated health (odds ratios were.19 and.22, respectively with corresponding p-values equal to.0043 and.0332).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among younger low-income women, addressing low self-esteem might improve health status.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Community Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, USA. james.rohrer@ttuhsc.edu
authors.forename: James E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Rohrer
authors.forename: Rodney
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Young
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005192:Family Health; D005193:Family Planning Services / Q000193:education*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008603:Mental Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009765:Obesity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D011203:Poverty; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods; D012649:Self Concept; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology