Lin Jielu, Kelley-Moore Jessica
1 National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
2 Department of Sociology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
Res Aging. 2017 Apr;39(4):549-572. doi: 10.1177/0164027516655583.
Consistent with the weathering hypothesis, many studies have captured racial/ethnic disparities in average functional health trajectories. The same mechanisms of social inequality that contribute to worse average health among minority adults may also contribute to greater fluctuations in their physical function at upper ages. Using panel data from the Health and Retirement Study, we examine patterns of intraindividual variability over time in trajectories of functional limitations for White, Black, and Hispanic older adults. Intraindividual variability increases with age for both Whites and Blacks and such increase is greater for Blacks. Hispanics have the greatest intraindividual variability but there is no age-based pattern. Socioeconomic status and comorbidity are associated with intraindividual variability for all race/ethnicity yet do not explain the age-based increase in intraindividual variability for Whites or Blacks. The findings suggest further nuances to the weathering hypothesis-social disadvantage can generate instability in physical function as minority adults age.
与衰老假说一致，许多研究都发现了平均功能健康轨迹方面的种族/族裔差异。导致少数族裔成年人平均健康状况较差的社会不平等机制，也可能导致他们在老年时身体功能出现更大波动。利用健康与退休研究的面板数据，我们研究了白人、黑人和西班牙裔老年人功能受限轨迹随时间的个体内变异性模式。白人和黑人的个体内变异性都随年龄增长而增加，且黑人的这种增加幅度更大。西班牙裔的个体内变异性最大，但不存在基于年龄的模式。社会经济地位和共病与所有种族/族裔的个体内变异性相关，但并不能解释白人和黑人个体内变异性随年龄增长的情况。研究结果表明衰老假说存在进一步的细微差别——随着少数族裔成年人年龄增长，社会劣势会导致身体功能不稳定。
