"Adolescent Resilience and Self-Esteem in Nicaragua" by Benjamin L. Shannon, Deborah Campbell et al.
 

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2021

Abstract

In the present study, we explored the role of resilience in predicting self-esteem in Nicaraguan adolescents, as well as the impact of poverty on the relationship between self-esteem and resilience for this unique population. Our sample consisted of 1,673 high school students (863 females, 810 males) who completed self-report surveys measuring various aspects of wellbeing, self-esteem, resilience, and general socioeconomic class. For the entire sample, social skills was the strongest predictor of self-esteem (β = .18, p < .001), followed by family (β = .13, p < .001), and belonging (β = .12, p < .001). For those above the poverty line, social skills, family, and belonging still contributed most to self-esteem, however coefficients for each factor were stronger for this subgroup (β = .21, p < .001, β = .18, p < .001, and β = .18, p < .001, respectively). For those self-reported below the poverty line, while social skills (β = .19, p < .001) and belonging (β = .14, p < .001) remained strong predictors of self-esteem, family was not included in the model. This could suggest that adolescents living in poverty are relying more on peer relationships and less on family for self-esteem, as poverty is known to disrupt family cohesiveness (Vázquez et al., 2007). Ultimately, more research is needed to investigate the relationship between self-esteem and resilience for adolescents and families living in Nicaragua.

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