White and Black Differences in Perceived Access to Health and Community Services and Self-Rated Health in an Age-Friendly Community Assessment

Abstract

Objectives: This study sought to identify the race differences in perceived access to health and community services and self-rated health (SRH) among White and Black older adult participants of an age-friendly community assessment. Methods: Responses ( n = 313) to a baseline assessment of Columbus, Ohio, residents aged ≥50 years were analyzed. Results: Significant differences were found between White and Black older adults regarding SRH, with Black older adults reporting lower SRH. Black older adults reported significantly lower perceived access to 11 out of the 13 health and community services. There were no significant differences by race regarding ratings of Columbus and personal neighborhoods as a place for people to live as they age. Regression analyses found income was a significant predictor of SRH for both White and Black older adults. Discussion: Opportunities to increase perceived access and knowledge of health and community services for older adults through targeted, equitable interventions are warranted.

The Age-Friendly Community Policy Movement and the Residential Location of U.S. Older Adults: The Case of Hamilton County, Ohio

“…Controls for income and race would be helpful in this regard. Racial segregation, for example, could possibly account for the greatest mismatches between livability scores and concentrations of older adults, which also has implications for the prevalence and persistence of racial disparities in access to health and community services among older adults (Krok-Schoen et al, 2021). As decades of systematic and institutional discrimination in housing such as “redlining” and its resulting effects (e.g., disinvestment in urban areas) (Galster, 1990; Massey & Denton, 1998) significantly contributed to the establishment of a dual housing market system (Stearns & Logan, 1986), the white majority was incentivized to settle in suburban locations, while non-white minorities were coerced into settling in urban areas (Crowder, 2000; Dawkins, 2016; Flippen, 2001; South & Crowder, 1997).…”

Association between home and community-based services utilization and self-rated health among Chinese older adults with chronic diseases: evidence from the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study

“…For instance, Tetyana et al examined the ethnic disparities in the relationship between the use of HCBSs and SRH among American older adults [ 25 ]. Jessica et al demonstrated a correlation between perceived access to HCBSs and SRH in older adults living in the age-friendly community [ 26 ]. Yang et al have demonstrated the role of different types of HCBSs in SRH among general older adults using data from Shaanxi Province, China [ 27 ].…”