Correlates of longitudinal patterns of racial discrimination in midlife and older Black adults: Evidence from the health and retirement study.

OBJECTIVE: Single cross-sectional discrimination measures may mask dynamic patterns of cumulative experiences and exposure to racial discrimination. However, there is a dearth of studies assessing trajectories of racial discrimination, particularly among midlife and older Black adults in the United States. The study aims to identify trajectories of racial discrimination over 12 years. We also examine the association between sociodemographic characteristics and resilience resources with racial discrimination trajectories.

METHODS: Using data from the Health and Retirement Study (2006-2020), repeated measures latent profile analysis was employed to identify racial discrimination trajectories among Blacks aged 50+ (N = 1710). Multinomial logistic regression examined the association between sociodemographic and resilience resources with racial discrimination trajectories.

RESULTS: Three racial discrimination trajectories were identified: low-stable (70 %), moderate (23 %), and persistently high and increasing (7 %). Individuals reporting higher levels of major lifetime experiences of discrimination and greater neighborhood social cohesion were associated with membership in the "moderate" and the "persistently high and increasing" racial discrimination trajectory groups. Those reporting positive social support and psychological resilience were less likely to be in the "moderate" or the "persistently high and increasing trajectory" groups.

CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest heterogeneity in the cumulative patterning of racial discrimination among midlife and older Black adults. Racial discrimination trajectories may enable greater precision in estimating the health consequences of cumulative exposure to discrimination. Future studies are warranted to determine whether membership in specific discrimination trajectory groups confers differential risk to age-related conditions.