@article {9484,
	title = {Longitudinal state-level effects on change in body mass index among middle-aged and older adults in the USA},
	journal = {Health Education Journal},
	volume = {77},
	year = {2018},
	pages = {59-72},
	abstract = {Objective:

The purpose of this longitudinal study was to examine the effects of state-level socioeconomic status (SES), the density of fast food restaurants and walking to work on body mass index (BMI) among US adults aged 50 years and older. The study sought further to account for the interaction effects of three different hierarchical levels of variables, including time-varying variables and time-invariant variables such as individual and state-level variables. Confounding related to environmental/neighbourhood effects was controlled for through sample selection.

Methods:
Data were drawn from the 2000{\textendash}2010 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and the 2010 US Census. HRS survey participants aged 50 years and older in 2000, residing in the same census tract during 2000{\textendash}2010 (N = 6,156) comprised the study sample. A three-level growth model was fitted to BMI trajectories.

Results:
BMI significantly increased over time showing both a linear and quadratic decelerating trajectory (p < .001) where BMI grew faster among sampled adults in their early 50s. Women living in the US states with a lower state-level SES had higher BMIs, while men with higher state-level SES had a higher BMI (b = -.242, p = .013). In states with a higher proportion of people who walked to work, Hispanics had higher BMIs at baseline and a lower BMI growth rate, compared with non-Hispanic whites (b = -.033, p < .001).

Conclusions:
Obesity interventions specific to adults aged 50 years and older require greater emphasis. Potential health inequalities regarding weight gain can be ameliorated through tailoring interventions based on sex, environmental and state-level SES influences.},
	keywords = {BMI, Eating habits, Gender Differences, Health Trajectories, Regional associations, Socioeconomic factors},
	issn = {0017-8969},
	doi = {10.1177/0017896917733016},
	author = {Chen, Cheng-Chia and Seo, Dong-Chul and Hsien-Chang Lin}
}
@article {9191,
	title = {Is regional income inequality associated with the individual health of older adults? Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study},
	journal = {Poverty \& Public Policy},
	volume = {8},
	year = {2016},
	month = {Jan-12-2016},
	pages = {416-429},
	abstract = {This research examined the association between regional income inequality and the individual health of older adults. Individuals ages 50 and older were drawn from the 1996 to 2012 waves of the Health and Retirement Study to estimate panel data regression models to assess the respective impacts of household income ratios of the 90th to 10th percentiles as well as the 50th to 10th percentiles on the number of doctor-diagnosed health conditions, controlling for regional fixed effects, time fixed effects, and individual characteristics. The findings revealed that in regions with greater 50/10 income ratios, older adults experience fewer doctor-diagnosed health conditions. Namely, a one-unit increase in the 50/10 income ratio was significantly associated with a 9.1 percent decrease in the number of doctor-diagnosed health conditions. The research also revealed that in regions with greater within-group income inequality, that is, inequality as measured within the same marital status reference group, older adults still experience fewer health conditions. Thus, in light of prior studies on the topic that either support the connection between greater income inequality and worse individual health or oppose this connection altogether, the findings suggest that greater income inequality at the regional level may be linked with better individual health.},
	keywords = {Finances, Health Conditions and Status, Inequality, Regional associations},
	doi = {10.1002/pop4.v8.410.1002/pop4.157},
	url = {http://doi.wiley.com/10.1002/pop4.v8.4},
	author = {Jin H. Kim}
}
