Gerontologist
Volume 57, 2017, Pages S138-S148

Racial/ethnic differences in expectations regarding aging among older adults (Article) (Open Access)

Menkin J.A.* , Guan S.-S.A. , Araiza D. , Reyes C.E. , Trejo L. , Choi S.E. , Willis P. , Kotick J. , Jimenez E. , Ma S. , McCreath H.E. , Chang E. , Witarama T. , Sarkisian C.A.
  • a Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, United States, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, United States
  • b Child and Adolescent Development, California State University, Northridge, United States
  • c Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State UniversityCA, United States
  • d Community Relations/Outreach, University of California, Los Angeles, United States, Los Angeles Community Academic Partnership for Research in Aging, United States
  • e Los Angeles Department of AgingCA, United States
  • f School of Nursing, University of California, Los Angeles, United States
  • g Watts Labor Community Action Committee Senior Programs, United States
  • h St. Barnabas Senior Services, United States
  • i Mexican American Opportunity Foundation, United States
  • j Chinatown Service Center, United States
  • k David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, United States
  • l David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, United States
  • m David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, United States
  • n David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, United States, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, United States

Abstract

Purpose of the Study: The study identifies differences in age-expectations between older adults from Korean, Chinese, Latino, and African American backgrounds living in the United States. Design and Methods: This study uses baseline demographic, age-expectation, social, and health data from 229 racial/ethnic minority seniors in a stroke-prevention intervention trial. Unadjusted regression models and pair-wise comparisons tested for racial/ethnic differences in age-expectations, overall, and across domain subscales (e.g., physical-health expectations). Adjusted regression models tested whether age-expectations differed across racial/ethnic groups after controlling for demographic, social, and health variables. Regression and negative binomial models tested whether age-expectations were consistently associated with health and well-being across racial/ethnic groups. Results: Age-expectations differed by race/ethnicity, overall and for each subscale. African American participants expected the least age-related functional decline and Chinese American participants expected the most decline. Although African American participants expected less decline than Latino participants in unadjusted models, they had comparable expectations adjusting for education. Latino and African American participants consistently expected less decline than Korean and Chinese Americans. Acculturation was not consistently related to age-expectations among immigrant participants over and above ethnicity. Although some previously observed links between expectations and health replicated across racial/ethnic groups, in adjusted models age-expectations were only related to depression for Latino participants. Implications: With a growing racial/ethnic minority older population in the United States, it is important to note older adults’ age-expectations differ by race/ethnicity. Moreover, expectation-health associations may not always generalize across diverse samples. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved.

Author Keywords

Diversity Attitudes Health Sociology of aging/social Gerontology Ethnicity Perceptions toward Aging/aged

Index Keywords

cultural anthropology China South Korea Republic of Korea regression analysis mental health human middle aged aging health status Aged ethnology African American Hispanic Americans United States Humans psychology Hispanic Asian Americans male Asian American Acculturation Aged, 80 and over female very elderly cultural factor anticipation Anticipation, Psychological attitude to health African Americans Culture
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85046988992&doi=10.1093%2fgeront%2fgnx078&partnerID=40&md5=dc3562e2a5674f8cac485f9ed41c732b
DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnx078
ISSN: 00169013
Cited by: 3
Original Language: English