Self-reported Instances of Major Discrimination, Race/Ethnicity, and Inflammation Among Older Adults: Evidence From the Health and Retirement Study

Ryon Cobb , University of Southern California

This study examines the relationship between self-reported instances of major discrimination and C-Reactive Protein (CRP) among older adults, and explores whether this relationship varies in accordance with race/ethnicity. Data from the 2006/2008 Health and Retirement Study was used for this study. Modified Poisson regression with robust standard errors was applied to estimate the prevalence ratios of self-reported instances of major discrimination, as it relates to high-risk CRP (CRP= 22 kg/m2). Respondents who experienced any instances of major discrimination had a higher likelihood of high-risk CRP (prevalence ratio [PR]: 1.14, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.07–1.22) than those who did not report experiencing any instances of major discrimination, and was weaker for Blacks than Whites (PR: 0.81, 95% CI = 0.69–0.95). Future studies among this population are required to examine whether the relationship between self-reported instances of major discrimination and high-risk CRP changes over time.

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 Presented in Session 161. Life Course Determinants of Aging