The Significance of Socioeconomic Status in Explaining the Racial Gap in Chronic Health Conditions

Using Wave 1 (1992) and Wave 2 (1994) of the Health and Retirement Study the researchers try to detect the differences in life without health problems between different races so as to understand disparities in mortality rate and quality of life. Do Blacks have a higher risk of acquiring chronic health impairments of all types? How do differences in social conditions produce differences in the prevalence of fatal chronic diseases among races? The researchers notice that Blacks have a lower chance of surviving to middle age then do Whites. Blacks have a far greater level of morbidity in middle age, as well as, chances in having multiple fatal disease conditions. The author s give possible reasons for their findings, with much of it based on social status and life events.