TY - JOUR T1 - Using Multiple-hierarchy Stratification and Life Course Approaches to Understand Health Inequalities: The Intersecting Consequences of Race, Gender, SES, and Age. JF - J Health Soc Behav Y1 - 2016 A1 - Tyson H Brown A1 - Liana J Richardson A1 - Taylor W. Hargrove A1 - Courtney S Thomas KW - Age Factors KW - Aged KW - Aging KW - Continental Population Groups KW - Female KW - Health Status Disparities KW - Health Surveys KW - Humans KW - Male KW - Middle Aged KW - Sex Factors KW - Social Class KW - Socioeconomic factors AB -

This study examines how the intersecting consequences of race-ethnicity, gender, socioeconomics status (SES), and age influence health inequality. We draw on multiple-hierarchy stratification and life course perspectives to address two main research questions. First, does racial-ethnic stratification of health vary by gender and/or SES? More specifically, are the joint health consequences of racial-ethnic, gender, and socioeconomic stratification additive or multiplicative? Second, does this combined inequality in health decrease, remain stable, or increase between middle and late life? We use panel data from the Health and Retirement Study (N = 12,976) to investigate between- and within-group differences in in self-rated health among whites, blacks, and Mexican Americans. Findings indicate that the effects of racial-ethnic, gender, and SES stratification are interactive, resulting in the greatest racial-ethnic inequalities in health among women and those with higher levels of SES. Furthermore, racial-ethnic/gender/SES inequalities in health tend to decline with age. These results are broadly consistent with intersectionality and aging-as-leveler hypotheses.

VL - 57 UR - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4905600/ IS - 2 U1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27284076?dopt=Abstract ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Understanding how race/ethnicity and gender define age-trajectories of disability: an intersectionality approach. JF - Soc Sci Med Y1 - 2011 A1 - David F Warner A1 - Tyson H Brown KW - Age Factors KW - Black or African American KW - Disability Evaluation KW - Disabled Persons KW - Female KW - Health Status Disparities KW - Health Surveys KW - Hispanic or Latino KW - Humans KW - Male KW - Middle Aged KW - Models, Statistical KW - Models, Theoretical KW - Sex Factors KW - Social Class KW - United States KW - White People AB -

A number of studies have demonstrated wide disparities in health among racial/ethnic groups and by gender, yet few have examined how race/ethnicity and gender intersect or combine to affect the health of older adults. The tendency of prior research to treat race/ethnicity and gender separately has potentially obscured important differences in how health is produced and maintained, undermining efforts to eliminate health disparities. The current study extends previous research by taking an intersectionality approach (Mullings & Schulz, 2006), grounded in life course theory, conceptualizing and modeling trajectories of functional limitations as dynamic life course processes that are jointly and simultaneously defined by race/ethnicity and gender. Data from the nationally representative 1994-2006 US Health and Retirement Study and growth curve models are utilized to examine racial/ethnic/gender differences in intra-individual change in functional limitations among White, Black and Mexican American Men and Women, and the extent to which differences in life course capital account for group disparities in initial health status and rates of change with age. Results support an intersectionality approach, with all demographic groups exhibiting worse functional limitation trajectories than White Men. Whereas White Men had the lowest disability levels at baseline, White Women and racial/ethnic minority Men had intermediate disability levels and Black and Hispanic Women had the highest disability levels. These health disparities remained stable with age-except among Black Women who experience a trajectory of accelerated disablement. Dissimilar early life social origins, adult socioeconomic status, marital status, and health behaviors explain the racial/ethnic disparities in functional limitations among Men but only partially explain the disparities among Women. Net of controls for life course capital, Women of all racial/ethnic groups have higher levels of functional limitations relative to White Men and Men of the same race/ethnicity. Findings highlight the utility of an intersectionality approach to understanding health disparities.

PB - 72 VL - 72 IS - 8 U1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21470737?dopt=Abstract U4 - Ethnicity/Older people/Gender differences/Socioeconomic factors/Racial differences/Disability/Disability ER -