Perception of ageism and self-esteem among Lebanese elders at home and abroad

الملخص FRE

Background : Discrimination against old age leads to depressive symptoms and lower self-esteem.

This issue is not studied in the Lebanese society where a demographic transition is taking place and the population is aging.

We assess the perception of age discrimination among Lebanese and its relation to self-esteem.

Methods : We interviewed a convenience sample of 320 Lebanese elders (mean age 69.

3 years ± 6.

2 ; 55 % males) living in an urban setting (Beirut) and a rural setting (Ras-Baalbeck) a well as those who immigrated to Dakar using a preestablished questionnaire.

Perception of age discrimination and socio-demographic information were collected ; self-esteem was measured using the Toulouse scale.

Results : More elders living in Beirut (OR = 9.

7, 95 % CI = 3.

5-26.

6) and Ras-Baalbeck (OR = 11.

42, 95 % CI = 3.

95-33.

1) perceived age-related discrimination than those living in Dakar.

This perception was significantly associated to lower self-esteem (OR = 2.

2, 95 % CI = 1.

3-3.

6).

Conclusion : Supporting emotionally vulnerable elders should be a target for policy makers in Lebanon.

It is important to preserve a better quality of life for elders still playing a major role in families