Period Trends in Self-Rated Health at Midlife: Variations by Race/Ethnicity, Union Status, and Education

• Published in: Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities 2022-08, Vol.9 (4), p.1243-1261
• Main Author: Lamidi, Esther O.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Academic achievement; Adults; Black people; Cultural differences; Education; Epidemiology; Ethnic differences; Ethnic groups; Ethnicity; Gender; Gender differences; Health status; Hispanic people; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle age; Midlife; Minority & ethnic groups; Minority groups; Morbidity; Part time employment; Quality of Life Research; Race; Self evaluation; Social Inequality; Social Structure; Socioeconomic factors; Trends; Wives; Women
• ISSN: 2197-3792; 2196-8837
• DOI: 10.1007/s40615-021-01066-9

Background Research shows rising midlife morbidity among US non-Hispanic white adults, but it is unclear if and how self-rated health of racial/ethnic minority adults has changed in recent years. More research is also needed to understand factors moderating self-rated health trends among middle-aged white adults. Given the racial/ethnic and educational differences in family experiences in recent decades, scholars have called for analysis of union status and educational differentials in self-rated health trends across racial/ethnic groups. Methods We used data from 2000–2018 National Health Interview Survey to analyze racial/ethnic variations in self-rated health trends at midlife across union status and educational groups. Results The findings showed that recent trends in self-rated health differed not just by race/ethnicity, but also by union status and education. Changes in self-rated health were more pronounced among non-Hispanic white men and women than among racial/ethnic minorities. However, not all groups of middle-aged white adults experienced self-rated health decline. Also, worsening self-rated health at midlife extends to some nonwhites. Compared to the health decline among many racial/ethnic/gender and educational groups, married black women with college degree or higher reported significant improvement in their self-rated health over time. Conclusion The findings demonstrate the interactions among race/ethnicity, gender, union status, and education in recent self-rated health trends.