Late-Life Health Trends: Disparities and Causes

Investigator:   Robert F. Schoeni

Over the past decade, a consensus has emerged that disability rates have declined among older Americans (Schoeni, Freedman, and Wallace 2000). Several studies suggest that cognitive functioning also may be improving among older Americans (Freedman, Aykan, and Martin 2001; in press; Manton et al. 1998; Liao et al 2001). If such declines continue into the future, their effect on the nation's health and economic well-being could be incredibly far -reaching, with potentially more older Americans able to work longer and relatively fewer needing medical and long-term care (Cutler 2001b; Singer and Manton 1998; Lubitz et al. 2001).

The goal of this project is to update and expand our understanding of trends in late-life health. We define health broadly to include chronic conditions and impairments, physical and cognitive functional limitations, and disability. Drawing upon new health trend data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) , and the Panel Survey of Income Dynamics (PSID), the latter a completely untapped source on late -life health trends, we will focus on three specific aims:

Aim I. Update trends in late-life health into the 21st century, using several notional surveys.

Aim II. Investigate the extend of disparities in health trends by race/ ethnicity, sex marital status, nativity, and socioeconomic status. By answering whether the gaps in prevalence are narrowing or widening, we will provide better insight into future directions in overall trends.

Aim III. Investigate role of events earlier in life as possible explanation for overall trends and for disparities across groups. In particular, we will focus on changes in early and midlife factors as possible influences driving improvements in late-life health. This research has been conducted under a subcontract with the Polisher Research Institute, the Madlyn and Leonard Abramson Center for Jewish life. Vicki Freedman, the PI of the parent project, is moving the grant from Polisher to the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ). This application represents the subcontract with UMDNJ for the final two years of the project.

Funding Period: 08/01/2005 to 04/30/2008

PSC Research Themes:

Health Conditions, Disability (Health, Disability, and Mortality)
Race and Gender Issues in Aging (Aging)


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