Critical Perspectives on Racial and Ethnic Differences in Health in Late Life

Critical Perspectives on Racial and Ethnic Differences in Health in Late Life PDF

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2004-10-16

Total Pages: 753

ISBN-13: 0309092116

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In their later years, Americans of different racial and ethnic backgrounds are not in equally good-or equally poor-health. There is wide variation, but on average older Whites are healthier than older Blacks and tend to outlive them. But Whites tend to be in poorer health than Hispanics and Asian Americans. This volume documents the differentials and considers possible explanations. Selection processes play a role: selective migration, for instance, or selective survival to advanced ages. Health differentials originate early in life, possibly even before birth, and are affected by events and experiences throughout the life course. Differences in socioeconomic status, risk behavior, social relations, and health care all play a role. Separate chapters consider the contribution of such factors and the biopsychosocial mechanisms that link them to health. This volume provides the empirical evidence for the research agenda provided in the separate report of the Panel on Race, Ethnicity, and Health in Later Life.

Aging and Ethnicity

Aging and Ethnicity PDF

Author: Leo Driedger

Publisher: Butterworth-Heinemann

Published: 2014-05-20

Total Pages: 148

ISBN-13: 1483141985

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Aging and Ethnicity: Toward an Interface provides a framework for comparison in aging and ethnicity. This book examines the ethnic factor and its importance for the study of the elderly. Organized into five chapters, this book begins with an overview of the general demographic characteristics underlying the social structure of the ethnic elderly. This text then explores the extent to which elements of assimilation and modernization affect the lives of Canada's ethnic elderly. Other chapters consider the existing social policies as they pertain to ethnic groups and present a research agenda to guide basic and evaluation research. This book discusses as well the role of primary group relations for maintaining ethnic identity and for preventing loss of status within the family. The final chapter deals with methodological issues to be considered when studying the ethnic elderly. This book is a valuable resource for sociologists, ethnic assimilationists, medical specialists, and gerontologists.

Racial and Ethnic Differences in the Health of Older Americans

Racial and Ethnic Differences in the Health of Older Americans PDF

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 1997-09-23

Total Pages: 312

ISBN-13: 0309175569

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Older Americans, even the oldest, can now expect to live years longer than those who reached the same ages even a few decades ago. Although survival has improved for all racial and ethnic groups, strong differences persist, both in life expectancy and in the causes of disability and death at older ages. This book examines trends in mortality rates and selected causes of disability (cardiovascular disease, dementia) for older people of different racial and ethnic groups. The determinants of these trends and differences are also investigated, including differences in access to health care and experiences in early life, diet, health behaviors, genetic background, social class, wealth and income. Groups often neglected in analyses of national data, such as the elderly Hispanic and Asian Americans of different origin and immigrant generations, are compared. The volume provides understanding of research bearing on the health status and survival of the fastest-growing segment of the American population.

Aging and Ethnicity

Aging and Ethnicity PDF

Author: Donald E. Gelfand, PhD

Publisher: Springer Publishing Company

Published: 2003-08-29

Total Pages: 232

ISBN-13: 0826174221

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In the Second Edition, Gelfand devotes greater attention to the impact of immigration on the United States and provides a useful model for providers working with older persons from diverse ethnic backgrounds. Based on 2000 Census data, this edition contains updated references throughout along with new tables/graphs. Chapter topics include: Security and the Ethnic Elderly; Family and Church as Sources of Assistance; and Programs and Services for the Ethnic Aged. Not meant to be an exhaustive review of the literature, the text focuses on specific issues and themes that the author believes are important to understanding and meeting the needs of older people from diverse backgrounds.

Communities in Action

Communities in Action PDF

Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2017-04-27

Total Pages: 583

ISBN-13: 0309452961

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In the United States, some populations suffer from far greater disparities in health than others. Those disparities are caused not only by fundamental differences in health status across segments of the population, but also because of inequities in factors that impact health status, so-called determinants of health. Only part of an individual's health status depends on his or her behavior and choice; community-wide problems like poverty, unemployment, poor education, inadequate housing, poor public transportation, interpersonal violence, and decaying neighborhoods also contribute to health inequities, as well as the historic and ongoing interplay of structures, policies, and norms that shape lives. When these factors are not optimal in a community, it does not mean they are intractable: such inequities can be mitigated by social policies that can shape health in powerful ways. Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity seeks to delineate the causes of and the solutions to health inequities in the United States. This report focuses on what communities can do to promote health equity, what actions are needed by the many and varied stakeholders that are part of communities or support them, as well as the root causes and structural barriers that need to be overcome.

Understanding Racial and Ethnic Differences in Health in Late Life

Understanding Racial and Ethnic Differences in Health in Late Life PDF

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2004-09-08

Total Pages: 184

ISBN-13: 0309165865

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As the population of older Americans grows, it is becoming more racially and ethnically diverse. Differences in health by racial and ethnic status could be increasingly consequential for health policy and programs. Such differences are not simply a matter of education or ability to pay for health care. For instance, Asian Americans and Hispanics appear to be in better health, on a number of indicators, than White Americans, despite, on average, lower socioeconomic status. The reasons are complex, including possible roles for such factors as selective migration, risk behaviors, exposure to various stressors, patient attitudes, and geographic variation in health care. This volume, produced by a multidisciplinary panel, considers such possible explanations for racial and ethnic health differentials within an integrated framework. It provides a concise summary of available research and lays out a research agenda to address the many uncertainties in current knowledge. It recommends, for instance, looking at health differentials across the life course and deciphering the links between factors presumably producing differentials and biopsychosocial mechanisms that lead to impaired health.

Aging and Ethnicity

Aging and Ethnicity PDF

Author: Kyriakos S. Markides

Publisher: SAGE Publications, Incorporated

Published: 1987-08

Total Pages: 282

ISBN-13:

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Are patterns of ageing the same in all ethnic groups? Are there any cultural factors which make growing old better or worse for particular communities? Does racial discrimination affect the quality of life and health care of ageing members of ethnic groups? In this wide-ranging study in social gerontology, Markides and Mindel integrate literature from sociology, political science, economics, psychology and social work to explore the relationship between ageing and ethnicity. They draw important conclusions for social policy and suggest future directions for research and intervention.