Relationships Between Self-Esteem and Personal Attributes, Income, Consumption, and Assets: Japanese Panel Study.

Abstract

Self-esteem is a key topic in psychology and health research. It influences well-being, happiness, and even medicine. However, existing studies on self-esteem have yielded conflicting results, suggesting that a global consensus remains elusive. This study examines how demographic and socioeconomic factors influence self-esteem in Japan. We analyzed panel data sampled from the entire Japanese population, with separate estimates performed for marital status and gender to account for potential differences in the impact of these factors. Using a Bayesian panel logit model with the Markov chain Monte Carlo method and the ancillarity-sufficiency interweaving strategy for efficient estimation, we found similarities and differences compared with studies from other countries. Furthermore, when comparing the overall data with data stratified by marital status and gender, we observed significant differences in how these factors influenced self-esteem, even among the same individuals. These findings underscore the importance of considering such variations when incorporating self-esteem into medical and healthcare contexts.