Factors Predicting Self-Esteem During Transition Period in Retired Elderly

Abstract

          This is a descriptive study to analyze the predictive power of health status, meaning of life, and social participation towards self-esteem during the transition to retirement age. The One hundred sixty eight samples were retired elderly aged 60 years and over who received the service at outpatient department of one hospital at Nakhon Pathom Province. Data were collected using questionnaires for demographic data, health status, meaning of life, social participation, and the self-esteem. The data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics, pearson’s correlation coefficient statistic and multiple liner regression.

          The results found that the sample of retired elderly were mostly female with the mean age of 69 years old. The level of self-esteem, health status, meaning of life and social participation were in a high level. Self-esteem of retried elderly was in positive correlation with the health status, meaning of life, and social participation (r =0.28, r =0.24 and r =0.29, respectively). Health status and social participation of retried elderly were found as significant factors which could explain for 14.5 of variance (adjust R² = 0.145, F = 10.456, p < 0.001). However, meaning of life did not significantly predict self-esteem among retired elderly. The study results suggested that there should be among activities to promote the elderly health by providing health check-ups and knowledge about self-care regularly as well as organize  social participation activities especially religious activity in order to support the retired elderly’s self-esteem to be able to adapt themselves effectively.