USING BIOLOGICAL AGING TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENTIAL RETURNS TO EDUCATION AMONG BLACK AND WHITE OLDER ADULTS
2024
Understanding Health Returns to Education in Older Adults
publication
Author Information
Author(s): Farina Mateo
Primary Institution: University of Texas at Austin
Hypothesis
Does accelerated biological aging explain the differential health returns to education among Black and White older adults?
Conclusion
Black older adults with higher education experience smaller health benefits compared to their White counterparts.
Supporting Evidence
- Black older adults see a 3.2-year difference in health returns to education, while White older adults see a 5.3-year difference.
- Health behaviors did not impact the differences in health returns to education between the groups.
- Stress and discrimination may reduce health benefits for well-educated older Black adults.
Takeaway
This study looks at how education affects health in older Black and White adults, finding that education helps White adults more than Black adults.
Methodology
The study uses linear regression models to analyze data from the Health and Retirement 2016 Venous Blood Study.
Participant Demographics
Older Black and White adults in the United States.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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