Age stereotypes, self-esteem and self-rated health; [Stéréotypes liés àl'âge, estime de soi et santé perçue]

The purpose of this study, carried out on a sample of older adults in Marseille, was threefold: (1) to see if the elders from Marseille perceive ageism, and to analyse the discourses associated with this perception; (2) to assess the relationships between the perception of ageism and sociodemographic factors such as age, gender, place of residence, marital status, and educational level, but also disability; (3) to investigate relationships between the perception of ageism and subjective health, assessed by self-rated health and self-esteem. Accordingly, 298 people, aged 60-92 years, have been interviewed face-to-face, The results showed that about 40% of the respondants perceive negative stereotypes against older people; that neither the socio-demographic factors studied, nor disability, were associated with this perception. However, controlling for socio-demographic factors, the perception of ageism appears to be linked with subjective health.