scholarly journals Ethnic inequalities in health in later life, 1993–2017: the persistence of health disadvantage over more than two decades

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-29
Author(s):  
Sarah Stopforth ◽  
Dharmi Kapadia ◽  
James Nazroo ◽  
Laia Bécares
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Minority ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Inequalities In Health ◽  
Ethnic Inequalities ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Data Limitations ◽  
Address Data ◽  
Future Data ◽  
Economic Position ◽  
Nationally Representative

Abstract Ethnic inequalities in health and wellbeing across the early and mid-lifecourse have been well-documented in the United Kingdom. What is less known is the prevalence and persistence of ethnic inequalities in health in later life. There is a large empirical gap focusing on older ethnic minority people in ethnicity and ageing research. In this paper, we take a novel approach to address data limitations by harmonising six nationally representative social survey datasets that span more than two decades. We investigate ethnic inequalities in health in later life, and we examine the effects of socio-economic position and racial discrimination in explaining health inequalities. The central finding is the persistence of stark and significant ethnic inequalities in limiting long-term illness and self-rated health between 1993 and 2017. These inequalities tend to be greater in older ages, and are partially explained by contemporaneous measures of socio-economic position, racism, and discrimination. Future data collection endeavours must better represent older ethnic minority populations and enable more detailed analyses of the accumulation of socio-economic disadvantage and exposure to racism over the lifecourse, and its effects on poorer health outcomes in later life.

scholarly journals Work–family lifecourses and later-life health in the United Kingdom

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Tosi ◽  
Emily Grundy
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Adult Life ◽  
Large Family ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Work And Family ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Economic Position ◽  
Nationally Representative

Abstract Socio-economic inequalities in physical and mental health persist at older ages and previous studies have shown that partnership and parenthood histories are also associated with differentials in later-life health. These domains of adult life interact, and both may be influenced by earlier life circumstances, indicating a need for a holistic approach to understanding lifecourse influences on health at older ages. In this paper, we identify classes of lifecourse types for a United Kingdom (UK) cohort born 1933–1945 and investigate differences between the latent classes identified in physical and mental health, and changes in health over a five-year follow-up period. Data were drawn from Waves 1–5 (2009–2013) of the nationally representative UK Household Longitudinal Study. Multi-level models were used to analyse associations with summary indicators of physical and mental health measured using the SF-12, and changes in health, controlling for childhood circumstances and taking account of support from family and friends in later life. Lifecourses characterised by lower socio-economic position, early parenthood and large family size were associated with worse physical and mental health in later life, with respondents who had combined a high socio-economic position and two children being the most advantaged. The study indicates that socio-economic disparities in later-life health vary depending on the way in which individuals combine work and family life.

scholarly journals Early Origins of Body Mass in Later Life: Examining Childhood Risks and Adult Pathways

2021 ◽  
pp. 002214652110054
Author(s):  
Sarah A. Mustillo ◽  
Miao Li ◽  
Patricia Morton ◽  
Kenneth F. Ferraro
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Life Experiences ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Older Adulthood ◽  
Early Life Exposure ◽  
Nationally Representative

Prior research reveals that negative early-life experiences play a major role in the development of obesity in later life, but few studies identify mechanisms that alter the lifetime risk of obesity. This study examines the influence of negative childhood experiences on body mass index (BMI) and obesity (BMI ≥30) during older adulthood and the psychosocial and behavioral pathways involved. Using a nationally representative sample, we examine the influence of cumulative misfortune as well as five separate domains of misfortune on BMI and obesity. Results show that four of the five domains are associated with BMI and obesity either directly, indirectly, or both. The influence of cumulative misfortune on the outcomes is mediated by three adult factors: socioeconomic status, depressive symptoms, and physical activity. The mediators identified here provide targets for intervention among older adults to help offset the health risks of excess BMI attributable of early-life exposure to misfortune.

scholarly journals Is Childhood Socioeconomic Status Related to Coronary Heart Disease? Evidence From the Health and Retirement Study (1992-2012)

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 233372141769667 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minjee Lee ◽  
M. Mahmud Khan ◽  
Brad Wright
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Coronary Heart Disease ◽  
Heart Disease ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Health And Retirement Study ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Childhood Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Retirement Study

Objective: We investigated the association between childhood socioeconomic status (SES) and coronary heart disease (CHD) in older Americans. Method: We used Health and Retirement Study data from 1992 to 2012 to examine a nationally representative sample of Americans aged ≥50 years ( N = 30,623). We modeled CHD as a function of childhood and adult SES using maternal and paternal educational level as a proxy for childhood SES. Results: Respondents reporting low childhood SES were significantly more likely to have CHD than respondents reporting high childhood SES. Respondents reporting both low childhood and adult SES were 2.34 times more likely to have CHD than respondents reporting both high childhood and adult SES. People with low childhood SES and high adult SES were 1.60 times more likely than people with high childhood SES and high adult SES to report CHD in the fully adjusted model. High childhood SES and low adult SES increased the likelihood of CHD by 13%, compared with high SES both as a child and adult. Conclusion: Childhood SES is significantly associated with increased risk of CHD in later life among older adult Americans.

Ethnic inequalities in health: socioeconomy, tobacco use, and obesity

The Lancet ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 368 (9536) ◽  
pp. 645
Author(s):  
Takeharu Koga ◽  
Atsushi Kawaguchi ◽  
Hisamichi Aizawa
Keyword(s):  
Tobacco Use ◽  
Inequalities In Health ◽  
Ethnic Inequalities

Ethnic Inequalities in Health Intervention Coverage Among Mexican Women at the Individual and Municipality Levels

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy Armenta-Paulino ◽  
Fernando C. Wehrmeister ◽  
Luisa Arroyave ◽  
Aluisio Barros ◽  
Cesar G. Victora
Keyword(s):  
Health Intervention ◽  
Mexican Women ◽  
Intervention Coverage ◽  
Inequalities In Health ◽  
Ethnic Inequalities ◽  
The Individual

scholarly journals Risky Politics? Associations between Adolescent Risk Preference and Political Engagement

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Oosterhoff
Keyword(s):  
Risk Preference ◽  
Political Engagement ◽  
Political Interest ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Adolescent Risk ◽  
Future Data ◽  
Monitoring The Future ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Adaptive Role

This study examined associations among adolescent risk preference and political engagement using nationally representative Monitoring the Future data from high school seniors (N=109,574; modal age=18 years) spanning 1976-2014. Greater risk preference was associated with greater past voting, donating to a campaign, writing government officials, boycotting, and protesting. Greater risk preference was associated with higher future intentions to boycott and protest, but lower intentions to donate to or volunteer for a campaign. In general, associations between risk preference and political engagement became stronger with higher levels of political interest. Results highlight the importance of considering the adaptive role of adolescent risk preference and suggest that political engagement may be a constructive outlet for youth who pursue or are comfortable taking risks.

scholarly journals Ethnic inequalities in health intervention coverage among Mexican women at the individual and municipality levels

2022 ◽  
Vol 43 ◽  
pp. 101228
Author(s):  
Nancy Armenta-Paulino ◽  
Fernando C Wehrmeister ◽  
Luisa Arroyave ◽  
Aluísio J.D. Barros ◽  
Cesar G. Victora
Keyword(s):  
Health Intervention ◽  
Mexican Women ◽  
Intervention Coverage ◽  
Inequalities In Health ◽  
Ethnic Inequalities ◽  
The Individual

scholarly journals Socio-economic position at four time points across the life course and all-cause mortality: updated results from the Uppsala Birth Cohort Multigenerational Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-54
Author(s):  
Amy Heshmati ◽  
Gita D Mishra ◽  
Anna Goodman ◽  
Ilona Koupil
Keyword(s):  
Life Course ◽  
Birth Cohort ◽  
Later Life ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Sensitive Period ◽  
Saturated Model ◽  
All Cause Mortality ◽  
Economic Position ◽  
The Life Course ◽  
Multigenerational Study

Socio-economic position (SEP) is associated with all-cause mortality across all stages of the life course; however, it is valuable to distinguish at what time periods SEP has the most influence on mortality. Our aim was to investigate whether the effect of SEP on all-cause mortality accumulates over the life course or if some periods of the life course are more important. Our study population were from the Uppsala Birth Cohort Multigenerational Study, born 1915–29 at Uppsala University Hospital, Sweden. We followed 3,951 men and 3,601 women who had SEP at birth available, during childhood (at age ten), in adulthood (ages 30–45) and in later life (ages 50–65) from 15 September 1980 until emigration, death or until 31 December 2010. We compared a set of nested Cox proportional regression models, each corresponding to a specific life course model (critical, sensitive and accumulation models), to a fully saturated model, to ascertain which model best describes the relationship between SEP and mortality. Analyses were stratified by gender. For both men and women the effect of SEP across the life course on all-cause mortality is best described by the sensitive period model, whereby being advantaged in later life (ages 50–65 years) provides the largest protective effect. However, the linear accumulation model also provided a good fit of the data for women suggesting that improvements in SEP at any stage of the life course corresponds to a decrease in all-cause mortality.

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