Abstract
This study compared the odds of becoming disabled and recovering from disability among blacks and whites aged 65 years and over in two sites of the Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (EPESE) project. The authors examined the influence of mortality differences, socioeconomic status, and health-related factors on racial differences in risk of disability and recovery. A Markov model was employed using nine waves of data from the New Haven, Connecticut, site (529 blacks, 2,219 whites) and seven waves of the North Carolina (Piedmont) site (2,260 blacks, 1,876 whites), collected between 1982 and 1992. Blacks below age 75 years had an increased risk of developing disability relative to whites in New Haven (odds ratio (OR) at age 65 years = 3.33, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.13-5.22) as well as in North Carolina (OR at age 65 years = 1.58, 95% CI 1.25-1.99). This excess risk diminished with increasing age, and crossed over in New Haven (OR at age 85 years = 0.45, 95% CI 0.22-0.95), but not in North Carolina (OR at age 85 years = 1.22, 95% CI 0.98-1.51). Adjustment for socioeconomic and health-related factors only partially reduced the excess disability risk among blacks below age 75 years in New Haven, but eliminated the difference in disability risk between blacks and whites in North Carolina. Blacks below age 75 years also had higher mortality risks at both sites. There were no consistent racial differences in recovery from disability.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 488-497 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | American Journal of Epidemiology |
| Volume | 145 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| State | Published - 1997 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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Keywords
- blacks
- disabled
- logistic models
- longitudinal studies
- whites
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Epidemiology
Cite this
Black-white differences in risk of becoming disabled and recovering from disability in old age : A longitudinal analysis of two epese populations. / De Mendes Leon, Carlos F.; Beckett, Laurel A; Fillenbaum, Gerda G.; Brock, Dwight B.; Branch, Laurence G.; Evans, Denis A.; Berkman, Lisa F.
In: American Journal of Epidemiology, Vol. 145, No. 6, 1997, p. 488-497.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Black-white differences in risk of becoming disabled and recovering from disability in old age
T2 - A longitudinal analysis of two epese populations
AU - De Mendes Leon, Carlos F.
AU - Beckett, Laurel A
AU - Fillenbaum, Gerda G.
AU - Brock, Dwight B.
AU - Branch, Laurence G.
AU - Evans, Denis A.
AU - Berkman, Lisa F.
PY - 1997
Y1 - 1997
N2 - This study compared the odds of becoming disabled and recovering from disability among blacks and whites aged 65 years and over in two sites of the Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (EPESE) project. The authors examined the influence of mortality differences, socioeconomic status, and health-related factors on racial differences in risk of disability and recovery. A Markov model was employed using nine waves of data from the New Haven, Connecticut, site (529 blacks, 2,219 whites) and seven waves of the North Carolina (Piedmont) site (2,260 blacks, 1,876 whites), collected between 1982 and 1992. Blacks below age 75 years had an increased risk of developing disability relative to whites in New Haven (odds ratio (OR) at age 65 years = 3.33, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.13-5.22) as well as in North Carolina (OR at age 65 years = 1.58, 95% CI 1.25-1.99). This excess risk diminished with increasing age, and crossed over in New Haven (OR at age 85 years = 0.45, 95% CI 0.22-0.95), but not in North Carolina (OR at age 85 years = 1.22, 95% CI 0.98-1.51). Adjustment for socioeconomic and health-related factors only partially reduced the excess disability risk among blacks below age 75 years in New Haven, but eliminated the difference in disability risk between blacks and whites in North Carolina. Blacks below age 75 years also had higher mortality risks at both sites. There were no consistent racial differences in recovery from disability.
AB - This study compared the odds of becoming disabled and recovering from disability among blacks and whites aged 65 years and over in two sites of the Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (EPESE) project. The authors examined the influence of mortality differences, socioeconomic status, and health-related factors on racial differences in risk of disability and recovery. A Markov model was employed using nine waves of data from the New Haven, Connecticut, site (529 blacks, 2,219 whites) and seven waves of the North Carolina (Piedmont) site (2,260 blacks, 1,876 whites), collected between 1982 and 1992. Blacks below age 75 years had an increased risk of developing disability relative to whites in New Haven (odds ratio (OR) at age 65 years = 3.33, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.13-5.22) as well as in North Carolina (OR at age 65 years = 1.58, 95% CI 1.25-1.99). This excess risk diminished with increasing age, and crossed over in New Haven (OR at age 85 years = 0.45, 95% CI 0.22-0.95), but not in North Carolina (OR at age 85 years = 1.22, 95% CI 0.98-1.51). Adjustment for socioeconomic and health-related factors only partially reduced the excess disability risk among blacks below age 75 years in New Haven, but eliminated the difference in disability risk between blacks and whites in North Carolina. Blacks below age 75 years also had higher mortality risks at both sites. There were no consistent racial differences in recovery from disability.
KW - blacks
KW - disabled
KW - logistic models
KW - longitudinal studies
KW - whites
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0003763328&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0003763328&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
VL - 145
SP - 488
EP - 497
JO - American Journal of Epidemiology
JF - American Journal of Epidemiology
SN - 0002-9262
IS - 6
ER -