Maria E. Fernandez

Factors that Influence Attitudes Toward Retirement

A set of older workers 58 to 64 years of age from the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill metropolitan area were followed for two years to explore their attitudes toward retirement. Findings include (1) workers who retired by 1994 were more positive about retirement than those who continued to work; (2) attitudes toward retirement in 1992 were influenced by social background, expectations of a pension, having an anticipated time for retirement, worker identity, and self-concept factors; and (3)attitudes toward retirement in 1994 were bolstered by expectations of a pension at retirement, participation in retirement planning activities, earlier attitudes toward retirement, and self-esteem. Further, the pension expectations, retirement planning, earlier retirement attitudes, and identity as a confident worker increased and depression decreased attitudes toward retirement for retirees, while retirement planning, earlier retirement attitudes, and self-esteem improved attitudes toward retirement for those who continued to work.

Breast-feeding patterns in the Philippines: a prospective analysis

Data from the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey have been used to examine breast-feeding patterns in the Metropolitan Cebu region of the Philippines. The results show that there is extensive and early use of non-nutritive liquids, resulting in low levels of exclusive breast-feeding. The use of cross-sectional versus longitudinal data, the definition of exclusive breast-feeding, and movements in and out of the exclusively breast-fed category, are considered.

Moderating the Effects of Stress on Depressive Symptoms

The authors examined whether social support (measured as having a partner or spouse, satisfaction with partner or spouse relationships at Time 1 and at Time 2, and frequency of visits with close friends and relatives) and self-esteem buffered the impact of two types of stressful life events on depressive symptomatology in a prospective investigation of 728 full-time working men and women 58 to 64 years of age at recruitment in a metropolitan North Carolina area. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that the impact of stressful events involving social networks was buffered by satisfying relationships at Time 1 and self-esteem. Satisfying relations at Time 1 also lessened the impact of work stressors on depressive symptoms.

Middle-Aged Working Men and Women Similar and Different Paths to Self-Esteem

Data derived from in-depth telephone interviews with 818 full-time working men and women aged 58 to 64 years and residing in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, North Carolina metropolitan area are used to explore the impact of socioeconomic status, health, activities, and work and spouse identities on self-esteem. Findings include the following: (a) middle-aged working women lack the material resources and status of men but do not have lower mean self-esteem scores than men; (b) different sets of social-background, activity, and worker- and spouse-identity variables influence self-esteem for men and women; but (c) identity meanings as a competent worker and a commitment to the worker role influence self-esteem for both men and women, as does commitment to the roles of worker and spouse for married men and women.

Infant formula promotion and the health sector in the Philippines.

We use data collected in 1984, 1986, and 1988 from public and private health facilities in the Metropolitan Cebu area of the Philippines to assess effects of World Health Organization and Government of the Philippines Codes of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes on distribution of formula supplies. Distribution of free and low-cost infant formula declined drastically between 1986 and 1988. Industry compliance was almost complete.