| Racial and Ethnic Differences in the Health of Older Americans Contributor(s): National Research Council (Author), Division of Behavioral and Social Scienc (Author), Commission on Behavioral and Social Scie (Author) |
|
 |
ISBN: 0309054893 ISBN-13: 9780309054898 Publisher: National Academies Press OUR PRICE: $63.65 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: October 1997 Annotation: Older Americans, even the oldest, can now expect to live years longer than those who reached the same ages even a few decades ago. Although survival has improved for all racial and ethnic groups, strong differences persist, both in life expectancy and in the causes of disability and death at older ages. This volume examines trends in mortality rates and selected causes of disability (cardiovascular disease, dementia) for older people of different racial and ethnic groups. The determinants of these trends and differences are also investigated, including differences in access to health care and experiences in early life, diet, health behaviors, genetic background, social class, wealth and income. Groups often neglected in analyses of national data, such as the elderly Hispanics and Asian Americans of different origin and immigrant generations, are compared. The volume provides understanding of research bearing on the health status and survival of the fastest-growing segment of the American population. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Medical | Geriatrics - Social Science | Ethnic Studies - General - Medical | Public Health |
| Dewey: 613.043 |
| LCCN: 97033731 |
| Physical Information: 0.82" H x 6.03" W x 9.01" (1.09 lbs) 312 pages |
| Themes: - Generational Orientation - Elderly/Aged |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Older Americans, even the oldest, can now expect to live years longer than those who reached the same ages even a few decades ago. Although survival has improved for all racial and ethnic groups, strong differences persist, both in life expectancy and in the causes of disability and death at older ages. This book examines trends in mortality rates and selected causes of disability (cardiovascular disease, dementia) for older people of different racial and ethnic groups. The determinants of these trends and differences are also investigated, including differences in access to health care and experiences in early life, diet, health behaviors, genetic background, social class, wealth and income. Groups often neglected in analyses of national data, such as the elderly Hispanic and Asian Americans of different origin and immigrant generations, are compared. The volume provides understanding of research bearing on the health status and survival of the fastest-growing segment of the American population. |