Do rising tides lift all boats? Racial disparities in health across the lifecourse among middle-class African-Americans and Whites

Do rising tides lift all boats? Racial disparities in health across the lifecourse among middle-class African-Americans and Whites

Although racial inequalities in health are well documented, much less is known about the underlying mechanisms that create and sustain these population patterns, especially among nonpoor subgroups. Using 20 waves of data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID), we estimate the magnitude of th...

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Main Authors: Cynthia G. Colen, Patrick M. Krueger, Bethany L. Boettner
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2018-12-01
Series:SSM: Population Health
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352827318300417
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spelling doaj-d6eff5c9ede44a299e6ac762f3b35e952020-11-24T23:06:01ZengElsevierSSM: Population Health2352-82732018-12-016125135Do rising tides lift all boats? Racial disparities in health across the lifecourse among middle-class African-Americans and WhitesCynthia G. Colen0Patrick M. Krueger1Bethany L. Boettner2Department of Sociology, Ohio State University, 238 Townshend Hall, 1885 Neil Ave. Mall, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Corresponding author.Department of Health & Behavioral Sciences, University of Colorado, Denver, USAInstitute for Population Research, Ohio State University, USAAlthough racial inequalities in health are well documented, much less is known about the underlying mechanisms that create and sustain these population patterns, especially among nonpoor subgroups. Using 20 waves of data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID), we estimate the magnitude of the Black/White gap in self-rated health among middle-income, working-age (18–65) adults and explore potential sources of this disparity. Findings from multilevel regression models suggest that intragenerational gains in family income result in significantly smaller improvements in self-rated health for middle-class African-Americans than similarly situated Whites. We also note that childhood disadvantage predicts subsequent health trajectories in adulthood, but does little to explain the Black/White gap in the association between family income and self-rated health. We conclude that middle-class status provides restricted health returns to upward mobility for African-Americans and this differential relationship cannot be accounted for by greater exposure to early life disadvantage. Keywords: Health disparities, Life course processes, African Americans, Socioeconomic mobility, Self-rated health, Childhood disadvantagehttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352827318300417
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Cynthia G. Colen
Patrick M. Krueger
Bethany L. Boettner
spellingShingle Cynthia G. Colen
Patrick M. Krueger
Bethany L. Boettner
Do rising tides lift all boats? Racial disparities in health across the lifecourse among middle-class African-Americans and Whites
SSM: Population Health
author_facet Cynthia G. Colen
Patrick M. Krueger
Bethany L. Boettner
author_sort Cynthia G. Colen
title Do rising tides lift all boats? Racial disparities in health across the lifecourse among middle-class African-Americans and Whites
title_short Do rising tides lift all boats? Racial disparities in health across the lifecourse among middle-class African-Americans and Whites
title_full Do rising tides lift all boats? Racial disparities in health across the lifecourse among middle-class African-Americans and Whites
title_fullStr Do rising tides lift all boats? Racial disparities in health across the lifecourse among middle-class African-Americans and Whites
title_full_unstemmed Do rising tides lift all boats? Racial disparities in health across the lifecourse among middle-class African-Americans and Whites
title_sort do rising tides lift all boats? racial disparities in health across the lifecourse among middle-class african-americans and whites
publisher Elsevier
series SSM: Population Health
issn 2352-8273
publishDate 2018-12-01
description Although racial inequalities in health are well documented, much less is known about the underlying mechanisms that create and sustain these population patterns, especially among nonpoor subgroups. Using 20 waves of data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID), we estimate the magnitude of the Black/White gap in self-rated health among middle-income, working-age (18–65) adults and explore potential sources of this disparity. Findings from multilevel regression models suggest that intragenerational gains in family income result in significantly smaller improvements in self-rated health for middle-class African-Americans than similarly situated Whites. We also note that childhood disadvantage predicts subsequent health trajectories in adulthood, but does little to explain the Black/White gap in the association between family income and self-rated health. We conclude that middle-class status provides restricted health returns to upward mobility for African-Americans and this differential relationship cannot be accounted for by greater exposure to early life disadvantage. Keywords: Health disparities, Life course processes, African Americans, Socioeconomic mobility, Self-rated health, Childhood disadvantage
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352827318300417
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AT bethanylboettner dorisingtidesliftallboatsracialdisparitiesinhealthacrossthelifecourseamongmiddleclassafricanamericansandwhites
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