Gender differences in the associations of self esteem, stress and social support with functional health status among older adults with heart disease

This study explored and compared the role of self esteem, stress and social support in maintenance or improvement in physical and psychosocial functio ning over 12 months in older men and women with cardiovascular disease. Dat a from 502 adults over 60 years of age showed that self esteem and stress w ere both significantly associated with functioning when demographic and cli nical factors were controlled. Men were significantly more likely than wome n to maintain or improve in functioning. Self esteem, stress, compliance wi th medication regimens, and marital status were significantly associated wi th maintenance or improvement of functioning among women. Only age and stre ss were significantly associated with maintenance or improvement in functio ning among men. Findings indicated that: (1) stress and self esteem were st ronger predictors of functioning, especially aming women, than demographic and clinical factors; and (2) women in the highest quartile of the self est eem distribution were approximately five times as likely to maintain or imp rove their functioning as women in the lowest quartile.