The Effects of Allostatic Load on Racial/Ethnic Mortality Differences in the United States

• Published in: Population research and policy review Vol. 35; no. 4; pp. 421 - 443
• Main Authors: Howard, Jeffrey T., Sparks, P. Johnelle
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht SPRINGER 01.08.2016; Springer Netherlands; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Age; Ageing; Aging; Biomarkers; Black white differences; Cholesterols; Cultural differences; Demography; Educational attainment; Epidemiology; Ethnicity; Health disparities; Health risks; Hispanic Americans; Hispanic people; Hispanics; Hypotheses; Minority & ethnic groups; Mortality; Mortality rates; Mortality risk; Nutrition; Nutrition surveys; Political power; Population Economics; Psychological stress; Public health; Race; Racial differences; Racial differentiation; Racism; Resource allocation; Risk; Risk factors; Social Sciences; Socioeconomic factors; Socioeconomic status; Socioeconomics; Sociology; Statistical analysis; Stress; United States; White people; United States > US; Allostatic load; Mortality disadvantage; Health disparities
• ISSN: 0167-5923; 1573-7829
• DOI: 10.1007/s11113-016-9382-4

This study expands on previous findings of racial/ethnic and allostatic load (AL) associations with mortality by addressing whether differential AL levels by race/ethnicity may explain all-cause mortality differences. This study used data from the third National Health and Nutrition Survey public-use file, gathered between 1988 and 1994, with up to 18 years of mortality follow-up (n = 11,733). AL scores were calculated using a 10-biomarker algorithm based on clinically determined thresholds. Results of discrete-time hazard models suggest that AL is associated with increased mortality risks, independent of other factors, including race/ethnicity and SES. The results also suggest that the AL–mortality association is stronger for non-Hispanic blacks than for non-Hispanic whites, and that at low levels of AL observed mortality differences between non-Hispanic blacks and non-Hispanic whites are non-significant. These findings suggest that mortality differences between non-Hispanic blacks and non-Hispanic whites may be the result of how early life exposure causes premature aging and increased mortality risks. More attention to resource allocation and local environments is needed to understand why non-Hispanic blacks experience premature aging that leads to differential mortality risks compared to non-Hispanic whites.