FRIDAY, Jan. 30 (HealthDayNews) -- Growing older may mean more than getting gray hair and wrinkles -- it can also sap your self-esteem, says a Canadian study in the February issue of the Journal of Aging Studies. "We live in a culture of youth where being young is prized and idealized," study co-author John Cairney, a University of Toronto sociologist, says in a prepared statement. "When you're talking about self-esteem, your body image is an important part of that perception," Cairney says. He and a colleague analyzed data from a telephone survey of 17,626 people. The researchers compared each person's self-reported level of self-esteem to their gender, social class (household income, marital status, education), and age. Along with age, income levels also affected self esteem. The study found people with low incomes experienced a greater drop in self-esteem after they reached middle age than people with middle to high incomes. "A person's sense of self-worth is probably linked, to a certain degree, on how economically or socially successful they are. Living in this society, being economically advantaged may have a positive impact on a person's sense of who they are. It's a marker of success," Cairney says. There is a way to counter this age-related decline in self-esteem. "It's about changing negative perceptions and stereotypes associated with gender and age," Cairney says. More information Here's where you can learn ways to boost self-esteem. (SOURCE: University of Toronto, news release, January 2004) Copyright © 2004 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved. HealthDayNews articles are derived from various sources and do not reflect federal policy. healthfinder® does not endorse opinions, products, or services that may appear in news stories. For more information on health topics in the news, visit the healthfinder® health library. |