Early and Mid-Life Social Determinants of Racial Disparities in Late-Life Health

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The overall goal of the proposed study is to examine childhood and mid-life adulthood social determinants of health disparities between older blacks and whites. The study will assess racial disparities in late-life health in four biological outcomes: blood pressure, glycemic control, sub-clinical cerebrovascular disease, and inflammation. These outcomes were selected because of their relevance for racial disparities in health and the prevention of late-life disability and cognitive impairment. The study will focus on personal social resources (e.g., education, occupational status), and residential environment social conditions (e.g., birth county level of socio-economic status, neighborhood segregation during adulthood), and examine the degree to which these social resources and conditions experienced prior to older age account for racial disparities in late-life health. The study will also test whether racial disparities in late-life health ablood specimens in this population which are needed to obtain a measure of glycemic control. Despite general improvements in overall health among older adults in the US, racial disparities in late-life health continue to be large and pervasive. Racial differences in social resources and conditions in earlier stages of life are likely to be an important factor in alleviating these disparities. Findings from this study will provide a better understanding of the social and biological mechanisms that contribute to racial disparities in late-life health, creating a foundation for policies and strategies to reduce and ultimately eliminate health disparities between older blacks and whites. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Despite general improvements in overall health among older adults in the US, racial disparities in late-life health continue to be large and pervasive. Racial differences in late- life health are likely to depend on social resources and conditions experienced earlier in life, butmportance to the prevention of disability and cognitive impairment in old age. An important strength of the study is that it will take advantage of the availability of detailed information on most social and biological factors of interest. This information is derived from an ongoing cohort study in a large population of older blacks and whites. Findings from this study are expected to provide a better understanding of the social and biological mechanisms that contribute to racial disparities in late-life health, creating a foundation for policies and strategies to reduce and ultimately eliminate health disparities between older blacks and whites.