Health and Concentrated Disadvantage in Later Life: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study

Not only are adults who live in racially segregated areas exposed to
disadvantage on myriad levels over the lifetime, but, in aging, they also
may become even more reliant upon the resources embedded in their
neighborhoods. This paper uses multi-level analysis to study residential
segregation, concentrated disadvantage, and the health of adults in mid- to
late-life. Using data from the 2004 Health and Retirement Survey, I
analyze the extent to which health disparities between black and white
adults over age 50 are associated with neighborhood-level concentrated
disadvantage. Random intercept models show that neighborhood-level
factors are associated with both fair or poor health and chronic illness.
Concentrated disadvantage is significant and in the expected direction,
although the magnitude is small. Findings are consistent with previously
identified connections between education and health, suggesting that
improving educational outcomes for students in highly disadvantaged
areas may yield enduring health benefits.