scholarly journals Life Course Stressors and Functional Limitations in Later Life Among White, Black, and Hispanic Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 212-212
Author(s):  
Madison Sauerteig ◽  
Kenneth Ferraro ◽  
Shawn Bauldry
Keyword(s):  
Life Course ◽  
Race And Ethnicity ◽  
Functional Limitations ◽  
Ethnic Disparities ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Mediation Analyses ◽  
Inequality Theory ◽  
Hispanic Adults ◽  
Cumulative Inequality ◽  
Early Life Exposures

Abstract Although striking racial and ethnic disparities in health are manifest during later life, they may be rooted in early-life exposures. Drawing from cumulative inequality theory, we investigate whether experiencing life course stressors increases the risk of later-life functional limitations and whether this relationship differs by race and ethnicity. This study utilizes longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study to test whether six indicators of child stressors and eleven indicators of adult stressors predict trajectories of the onset and severity of functional limitations in later life among a diverse sample of adults. We find that child and adult stressors are associated with earlier onset and greater severity of functional limitations during later life. Mediation analyses reveal the indirect influence of child stressors via adult stressors on onset and severity of functional limitations; however, the indirect effects are slightly stronger for Black and Hispanic adults than their White counterparts (i.e., moderated mediation). In sum, child stressors, in and of themselves, do not increase functional limitations among Black and Hispanic people but are associated with greater adult stress exposure, leading to more functional limitations in later life. Disparities in functional limitations are also partly due to lower education and less wealth among Black and Hispanic adults.

Life Course Stressors and Functional Limitations in Later Life among White, Black, and Hispanic Adults: Deleterious, Hardening, or Benign?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madison R Sauerteig ◽  
Kenneth F Ferraro ◽  
Shawn Bauldry
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Race And Ethnicity ◽  
Functional Limitations ◽  
Ethnic Disparities ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Mediation Analyses ◽  
Inequality Theory ◽  
Hispanic Adults ◽  
Cumulative Inequality

Abstract Objectives Although striking racial and ethnic disparities in health are manifest during later life, they may be rooted in early-life exposures. Drawing from cumulative inequality theory, we investigate whether life course stressors are associated with risk of later life functional limitations and whether this relationship differs by race and ethnicity. Methods We utilize longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study to test whether child and adult stressors predict trajectories of the occurrence and severity of functional limitations among a diverse sample of older adults. Results Child and adult stressors are associated with greater occurrence and severity of functional limitations during later life. Mediation analyses reveal the indirect influence of child stressors via adult stressors on occurrence and severity of functional limitations; however, the indirect effects are slightly stronger for Black and Hispanic adults than their White counterparts. Discussion Child stressors, in and of themselves, do not increase functional limitations among Black and Hispanic people but are associated with greater adult stress exposure, predisposing them to more functional limitations. Results suggest that childhood stressors are associated with distinct social pathways to functional limitations among Black, White, and Hispanic older adults.

scholarly journals Diverse Aging and Health Inequality by Race and Ethnicity

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth F Ferraro ◽  
Blakelee R Kemp ◽  
Monica M Williams
Keyword(s):  
Health Disparities ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
Health Inequality ◽  
Ethnic Diversity ◽  
Race And Ethnicity ◽  
Inequality Theory ◽  
Aging And Health ◽  
Cumulative Inequality ◽  
Life Course Analysis

Abstract Although gerontologists have long embraced the concept of heterogeneity in theories and models of aging, recent research reveals the importance of racial and ethnic diversity on life course processes leading to health inequality. This article examines research on health inequality by race and ethnicity and identifies theoretical and methodological innovations that are transforming the study of health disparities. Drawing from cumulative inequality theory, we propose greater use of life course analysis, more attention to variability within racial and ethnic groups, and better integration of environmental context into the study of accumulation processes leading to health disparities.

Does Occupational Mobility Influence Health among Working Women? Comparing Objective and Subjective Measures of Work Trajectories

2012 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 432-447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsay R. Wilkinson ◽  
Tetyana P. Shippee ◽  
Kenneth F. Ferraro
Keyword(s):  
Women’S Health ◽  
Women's Health ◽  
Occupational Mobility ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Subjective Measures ◽  
Growth Curve Models ◽  
Socioeconomic Index ◽  
Inequality Theory ◽  
American Society ◽  
Cumulative Inequality

Occupational mobility is highly valued in American society, but is it consequential to women’s health? Previous studies have yielded inconsistent results, but most measured occupational mobility by identifying transitions across occupational categories. Drawing from cumulative inequality theory, this study (1) compares objective and subjective measures of work trajectories and (2) examines the contributions of each to self-rated health. With 36 years of data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Mature Women (1967-2003), growth curve models are used to estimate the effects of middle-aged work trajectories on health among 2,503 U.S. women. Work trajectories as measured by the Duncan Socioeconomic Index predict health, but not after adjustment for perceived work trajectories and status characteristics. The findings reveal that subjective measures of occupational mobility provide important information for assessing health consequences of work transitions and that downward occupational mobility in middle age is deleterious to women’s health in later life.

scholarly journals FAMILY-MEMBER LOSS AS A CUMULATIVE BURDEN FOR HEALTH AMONG BLACK AND WHITE OLDER ADULTS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S604-S604
Author(s):  
Rachel Donnelly
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Family Member ◽  
Functional Limitations ◽  
Black Americans ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Cardiometabolic Health ◽  
Black And White ◽  
Family Loss ◽  
The Life Course

Abstract The health consequences of multiple family member deaths across the life course has received less attention in the bereavement literature. Moreover, recent research shows that black Americans are more likely than white Americans to lose multiple family members. I analyze longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study (1992-2014) to assess how multiple family member losses across the life course are associated with declines in health among older adults. Findings suggest that multiple family losses prior to midlife are associated with a number of indicators of poor health (e.g., functional limitations, cardiometabolic health) and steeper declines in health as individuals age. Losses after midlife additionally undermine health declines for older adults. Thus, family member loss functions as a cumulative burden of stress across the life course that erodes health in mid- and later-life. Family loss disproportionately burdens black Americans and serves as a unique source of disadvantage for black families.

scholarly journals Epigenetic Signature of Childhood Adversity in Older Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 667-668
Author(s):  
Eric Klopack ◽  
Eileen Crimmins
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Race And Ethnicity ◽  
Smoking Status ◽  
Venous Blood ◽  
Childhood Adversity ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Risk Scores ◽  
Adult Health ◽  
Mediation Analyses

Abstract Past research has shown that childhood adversity (CA) affects the health of older adults; however, the biological mechanisms underlying this association are unclear. Though past research has implicated DNA methylation (DNAm), studies utilizing representative data from older adults and reliable DNAm measures are needed to answer key questions about how stable DNAm changes associated with CA are in later life. Methylation risk scores (MRSs) are an emerging tool that can be used as biomarkers of exposure and as a dimension reduction approach for mediation analyses. This study clarifies the association between CA and later life health by generating MRSs for childhood adversity based on an epigenome wide association study conducted in an independent sample and validating that measure in a nationally representative sample of older adults living in the US from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), including 2016 methylation data from the HRS Innovative Subsample of the Venous Blood Study. For these 4,018 respondents, DNAm was assessed in whole blood using the Illumina Infinium Human Methylation EPIC BeadChip microarray. Results indicate that retrospective report of childhood SES is significantly associated with an MRS for CA after controlling for demographic factors (viz., race and ethnicity, age, gender, smoking status, and BMI), suggesting that DNAm signal from CA persists across the life course into older adulthood. This study helps clarify the biological processes underlying the association between CA and adult health.

scholarly journals Racial and Ethnic Differences in Retirement Satisfaction among Older US Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 912-913
Author(s):  
Samuel Van Vleet ◽  
Sara McLaughlin
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Differences ◽  
Race And Ethnicity ◽  
Population Aging ◽  
Functional Limitations ◽  
Logistic Models ◽  
Later Life ◽  
The United States ◽  
White Americans ◽  
Racial And Ethnic Differences ◽  
Significant Difference

Abstract Along with population aging, the diversity of the older US population is increasing. Research suggests that racial and ethnic minorities experience disadvantages over the life course that can negatively impact later life. Despite this, little research has examined racial and ethnic differences in satisfaction with retirement. Using data from the 2016 wave of the Health and Retirement Study, we compared retirement satisfaction among Black (n = 1,068), Hispanic (n = 674), Other (n=161), and White (n = 4,833) older adults (age 65+). Retirement satisfaction was measured with the following item: “All in all, would you say that your retirement has turned out to be very satisfying, moderately satisfying, or not at all satisfying?” Responses were categorized as very satisfied vs. all others. Approximately 43% of Black, 35% of Hispanic, 39% of Other, and 56% of White Americans reported being very satisfied with retirement (χ2(2.4)=58.9; p < .0001). In multivariate logistic models controlling for age, educational level, gender, household income, marital status, and functional limitations, the odds of being very satisfied with retirement were 32% lower for Hispanic (OR=0.68; 95% CI= 0.55, 0.85) and 37% lower for Other Americans (OR=0.63; 95% CI= 0.43,0.92) relative to their White counterparts. No significant difference was evident for Black and White Americans in adjusted analysis (OR=0.96; 95% CI=0.76,1.20). Our findings indicate that inequalities in the retirement experience exist by race and ethnicity in the United States. More research is needed to understand the factors responsible for lower retirement satisfaction among Hispanic and Other Americans.

Religious Attendance and Physical Health in Later Life: A Life Course Approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 61 (4) ◽  
pp. 486-502
Author(s):  
Laura Upenieks ◽  
Markus H. Schafer
Keyword(s):  
Life Course ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Religious Practice ◽  
Religious Attendance ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
Adult Health ◽  
Mediation Analyses ◽  
Composite Scores ◽  
The Life Course

Existing research on the life course origins of adult health has extensively examined the influence of childhood socioeconomic conditions, family structure, and exposure to trauma. Left unexplored are the potential long-term health effects of sociocultural exposures, such as religiosity at earlier phases of the life course. Integrating life course models of health with literature on the health-protective effects of adult religiosity, we consider how adolescent and midlife religiosity combine to structure the physical health profiles of adults past age 50. Using more than 35 years of representative data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 79 (NLSY79), we found that the stability of frequent religious practice over time was associated with better health composite scores and lower disease burden. Causal mediation analyses revealed that part of this association is driven by a lower risk of smoking for consistent, frequent attenders. Adulthood religiosity also mediated the relationship between frequent early-life religious attendance and health.

scholarly journals Linking Mastery Across the Life Course to Mobility Device Use in Later Life

2017 ◽  
Vol 74 (7) ◽  
pp. 1222-1232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenzie Latham-Mintus ◽  
Philippa J Clarke
Keyword(s):  
Life Course ◽  
Functional Limitations ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Health Promoting Behaviors ◽  
Growth Mixture ◽  
The Face ◽  
Health Promoting ◽  
Device Use ◽  
The Life Course ◽  
Mobility Device

Abstract Objectives Mastery in older ages is shaped by earlier-life experiences. Prior research has demonstrated that mastery is associated with health-promoting behaviors; however, little research has examined whether mastery histories influence health behaviors such as mobility device use in later life. Method Using 25 years of data from the Americans’ Changing Lives Survey (N = 1,427), this research explores whether different trajectories of life course mastery influence the odds that an older adult will use a mobility device when experiencing functional impairment. We used growth mixture models with a distal outcome and examined the relationship between functional limitations and mobility device use as it varies across latent classes of life course mastery, controlling for social and health factors. Results The odds of device use in the face of functional limitations were significantly higher among those with a history of high life course mastery, relative to those with low life course mastery, all things being equal. Discussion Our findings suggest that mastery over the life course is a source of psychological human capital that is associated with health-promoting behaviors in later life among those with functional limitations.

Gendered “Long Arm” of Parental Education? Life Course Influences on Later Life Functional Limitations in India

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 175-188
Author(s):  
Tirth R. Bhatta ◽  
Jeffrey M. Albert ◽  
Jessica Kelley ◽  
Eva Kahana
Keyword(s):  
Life Course ◽  
Direct Effect ◽  
Social Stratification ◽  
Parental Education ◽  
Functional Limitations ◽  
Social Systems ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Functional Health ◽  
Structural Factors ◽  
Adult Health

Objective: We adopt a novel approach to mediation analysis to account for interrelated life course social processes that constitute later life health disparities. We examine gender-specific direct effect of parental education on functional limitations in later life. Method: Based on the first wave (2007-2010; n = 7,150) of the Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health (SAGE), we estimate both (natural) direct and indirect effects of parental education on functional limitations in later life. Results: We observed a significant indirect and positive effect of parental education on functional health. Contrary to prior literature, we documented adverse direct effect of parental education on later life functional health. The direct effect is statistically significant only for father’s education, and is greater, though not statistically significantly so, for women than men. Discussion: The intersection of gender status and interrelated social stratification documented by this study highlights the need for gender-sensitive life course research. Such research can enhance our understanding of the ways patriarchal social systems produce heterogeneous effects of interrelated structural factors on later life health for men and women.

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