Baseline Health, Socioeconomic Status, and 10-Year Mortality Among Older Middle-Aged Americans: Findings From the Health and Retirement Study, 1992-2002

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.

Download Full-text

PREVALENCE AND PREDICTORS OF FATIGUE IN MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER ADULTS: EVIDENCE FROM THE HEALTH AND RETIREMENT STUDY

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society ◽

10.1111/j.1532-5415.2010.03088.x ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 58 (10) ◽

pp. 2033-2034 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

Hongdao Meng ◽

Lauren Hale ◽

Fred Friedberg

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Health And Retirement Study ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Retirement Study

Download Full-text

Mechanisms for Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Glycemic Control in Middle-aged and Older Americans in the Health and Retirement Study

Archives of Internal Medicine ◽

10.1001/archinte.167.17.1853 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 167 (17) ◽

pp. 1853 ◽

Cited By ~ 141

Author(s):

Michele Heisler

Keyword(s):

Glycemic Control ◽

Ethnic Disparities ◽

Health And Retirement Study ◽

Racial And Ethnic Disparities ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Older Americans ◽

Retirement Study

Download Full-text

Genes, Education, and Labor Market Outcomes: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study

Journal of the European Economic Association ◽

10.1093/jeea/jvz072 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 18 (3) ◽

pp. 1351-1399 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Nicholas W Papageorge ◽

Kevin Thom

Keyword(s):

Socioeconomic Status ◽

Labor Market ◽

Capital Accumulation ◽

New Technologies ◽

Labor Market Outcomes ◽

Health And Retirement Study ◽

Market Outcomes ◽

Genetic Traits ◽

Polygenic Score ◽

Retirement Study

Abstract Recent advances have led to the discovery of specific genetic variants that predict educational attainment. We study how these variants, summarized as a linear index—known as a polygenic score—are associated with human capital accumulation and labor market outcomes in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). We present two main sets of results. First, we find evidence that the genetic factors measured by this score interact strongly with childhood socioeconomic status in determining educational outcomes. In particular, although the polygenic score predicts higher rates of college graduation on average, this relationship is substantially stronger for individuals who grew up in households with higher socioeconomic status relative to those who grew up in poorer households. Second, the polygenic score predicts labor earnings even after adjusting for completed education, with larger returns in more recent decades. These patterns suggest that the genetic traits that promote education might allow workers to better accommodate ongoing skill biased technological change. Consistent with this interpretation, we find a positive association between the polygenic score and nonroutine analytic tasks that have benefited from the introduction of new technologies. Nonetheless, the college premium remains a dominant determinant of earnings differences at all levels of the polygenic score. Given the role of childhood SES in predicting college attainment, this raises concerns about wasted potential arising from limited household resources.

Download Full-text

Cognitive Performance Trajectories Before and After Sleep Treatment Initiation in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: Results from the Health and Retirement Study

The Journals of Gerontology Series A ◽

10.1093/gerona/glab164 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Christopher N Kaufmann ◽

Mark W Bondi ◽

Wesley K Thompson ◽

Adam P Spira ◽

Sonia Ancoli-Israel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Cognitive Decline ◽

Sleep Disturbance ◽

Cognitive Performance ◽

Treatment Initiation ◽

Health And Retirement Study ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Before And After ◽

Sleep Treatment ◽

Retirement Study

Abstract BACKGROUND Sleep disturbances are associated with risk of cognitive decline but it is not clear if treating disturbed sleep mitigates decline. We examined differences in cognitive trajectories before and after sleep treatment initiation. METHODS Data came from the 2006-2014 Health and Retirement Study. At each of five waves, participants were administered cognitive assessments and scores were summed. Participants also reported if, in prior two weeks, they had taken medications or used other treatments to improve sleep. Our sample (N=3,957) included individuals who at HRS 2006 were >50 years, had no cognitive impairment, reported no sleep treatment, and indicated experiencing sleep disturbance. We identified differences between those receiving vs. not receiving treatment in subsequent waves, and among those treated (N=1,247), compared cognitive trajectories before and after treatment. RESULTS At baseline, those reporting sleep treatment at subsequent waves were more likely to be younger, female, Caucasian, to have more health conditions, to have higher BMI, and more depressive symptoms (all p’s≤0.015). Decline in cognitive performance was mitigated in periods after sleep treatment vs. periods before (B=-0.20, 95% CI=-0.25, -0.15, p<0.001; vs., B=-0.26, 95% CI=-0.32, -0.20, p<0.001), and this same trend was seen for self-initiated and doctor-recommended treatments. Trends were driven by those with higher baseline cognitive performance—those with lower performance saw cognitive declines following sleep treatment. CONCLUSIONS In middle-aged and older adults with sleep disturbance, starting sleep treatment may slow cognitive decline. Future research should assess types, combinations, and timing of treatments most effective in improving cognitive health in later life.

Download Full-text

Insomnia and Health Services Utilization in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: Results From the Health and Retirement Study

The Journals of Gerontology Series A ◽

10.1093/gerona/glt050 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 68 (12) ◽

pp. 1512-1517 ◽

Cited By ~ 36

Author(s):

Christopher N. Kaufmann ◽

Sarah L. Canham ◽

Ramin Mojtabai ◽

Amber M. Gum ◽

Natalie D. Dautovich ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Health Services ◽

Health Services Utilization ◽

Health And Retirement Study ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Services Utilization ◽

Retirement Study

Download Full-text

Childhood socioeconomic status and racial differences in disability: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study (1998–2006)

Social Science & Medicine ◽

10.1016/j.socscimed.2009.06.006 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 69 (3) ◽

pp. 433-441 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

Mary Elizabeth Bowen

Keyword(s):

Socioeconomic Status ◽

Racial Differences ◽

Health And Retirement Study ◽

Childhood Socioeconomic Status ◽

Retirement Study

Download Full-text

Is perceived neighbourhood physical disorder associated with muscle strength in middle aged and older men and women? Findings from the US health and retirement study

Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health ◽

10.1136/jech-2019-213192 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 74 (3) ◽

pp. 240-247 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Kate A Duchowny ◽

M Maria Glymour ◽

Peggy M Cawthon

Keyword(s):

Muscle Strength ◽

Grip Strength ◽

Muscle Weakness ◽

Household Wealth ◽

Physical Disorder ◽

Health And Retirement Study ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Men And Women ◽

Retirement Study ◽

Neighbourhood Disorder

BackgroundResearch documenting the relevance of neighbourhoods for the health of older adults has focused on global physical functioning outcomes, such as disability, rather than physiologic impairments that lead to disability. Muscle weakness is an age-related impairment and a central mechanism of disability. Evaluating neighbourhood effects on muscle weakness may offer insight into physiologic mechanisms of disability. We examined the association between perceived neighbourhood disorder and muscle strength in a nationally representative sample of US adults aged 51+.MethodsAmong 11 277 participants (57% women; mean age: 66.6 years) in the Health and Retirement Study (2012–2014), we investigated whether self-reported neighbourhood physical disorder (1–7 scale, mean=2.61, SD=1.45); presence of vandalism/graffiti, litter, deserted houses, feeling safe walking alone) was associated with mean hand grip strength using linear regression models with sampling weights. We tested whether the association between neighbourhood disorder and grip strength differed by age and gender.ResultsAfter adjusting for demographic characteristics, marital status, education and household wealth, residence in neighbourhoods with high perceived physical neighbourhood disorder was associated with lower muscle strength for men (β=−1.95 kg; 95% CI, 2.68 to –1.22) and to a lesser extent, for women (β=−0.64 kg, 95% CI, −1.11 to –0.19), (p for interaction <0.0001). For both men and women, associations between neighbourhood physical disorder and grip strength were more adverse among the middle aged (51–64 years) than for older (ages 65+) adults.DiscussionPerceived neighbourhood disorder was associated with lower muscle strength. Future studies should more rigorously evaluate causality and evaluate potential interventions.

Download Full-text