Mortality Risk in Older Inner-City African Americans

• Published in: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society Vol. 55; no. 7; pp. 1049 - 1055
• Main Authors: Malmstrom, Theodore K., Andresen, Elena M., Wolinsky, Fredric D., Philip Miller, J., Stamps, Kathryn, Miller, Douglas K.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Malden, USA Blackwell Publishing Inc 01.07.2007; Blackwell; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: African Americans; Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Cerebrovascular Disorders - ethnology; Cerebrovascular Disorders - mortality; disease; Epidemiology; Female; General aspects; health services utilization; Humans; Inner city; Life Expectancy - ethnology; Low income groups; lower-body disability; Male; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous; Missouri - epidemiology; Mortality; Neoplasms - ethnology; Neoplasms - mortality; Older people; Prospective Studies; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Risk Factors; Sex Factors; Socioeconomic Factors; Survival Rate - trends; Urban Population; Missouri; USA, Missouri; Human; health services utilization; Urban environment; Disease; Mortality; Use; African Americans; Risk; Health service; Epidemiology; Ethnic group; Disability; lower-body disability; Risk factor; Body; Elderly; Age; Public health; African American
• ISSN: 0002-8614; 1532-5415
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2007.01204.x

OBJECTIVES: To investigate mortality risks in a sample of poor, inner‐city‐dwelling, older African Americans. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: St. Louis, Missouri. PARTICIPANTS: Six hundred twenty‐two African Americans aged 68 to 102 at the time of their 1992 to 1994 baseline interviews. MEASUREMENTS: Risk factors previously identified in the literature were examined for seven categories: demographic, socioeconomic, psychosocial, biomedical, disability and physical function, perceived health, and health services utilization. Vital status was ascertained through 2002. RESULTS: Three hundred eighty‐six subjects (62.1%) were deceased and 236 were alive (mortality higher than in matched controls). Significant risks for mortality were older age, male sex, annual income less than $10,000, cancer, cerebrovascular disease, dependencies in lower‐body function, and number of physician visits in the 12 months before baseline. CONCLUSION: In addition to improving the risk factors for stroke and malignant disease in this population, studies focused on improving lower‐body functioning may be warranted as a part of efforts aimed at enhancing longevity in older African‐American adults.