London, Apr 4 (IANS): Married men who are approaching retirement have the highest self esteem, says a study.

Researchers have found that confidence is lowest amongst young adults, but it increases with age and peaks around sixty, reports telegraph.co.uk.

However, after this, retirement and failing health cause a decline in self regard, researchers said.

The study looked at 3,617 American men and women aged 25 to 104 between 1986 and 2002, and rated how their self esteem changed during this period.

Women were found to be less confident than men, only catching up in confidence when they got to their 80s or 90s.

Those with better education, income, health and employment status were also likely to report higher levels of self esteem, especially as they age, the study found.

And those in happy marriages also had higher levels of self esteem.

Study leader Ulrich Orth said: "Specifically, we found that people who have higher incomes and better health in later life tend to maintain their self-esteem as they age. We cannot know for certain that more wealth and better health directly lead to higher self-esteem, but it does appear to be linked in some way."