Differential Effects of Aging in Place on Disability among Black and White Elderly

Marlene A. Lee, Population Reference Bureau (PRB)
Joachim Singelmann, University of Texas at San Antonio

The black health disadvantage, including old-age disability, is well-known and persists over the life course, although it is smaller in the older population. Health disparities between African Americans and non-Hispanic whites begin to emerge in early adulthood and continue to widen through middle age. Both race and place of residence play a role in shaping health status and disability, and these effects are cumulative in a way that ages African Americans prematurely, resulting in greater functional limitations and disability. This paper analyzes the functional limitations and disabilities of African Americans age 65 and older by using the concepts measured in the 2009 American Community Survey. Much has been made of the importance of place to understand different outcomes for racial and ethnic groups, and we therefore examine black-white disability differentials in metro and non-metro areas as well as the south and non-south regions