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Cobb S, Najand B, Gravidez T, Navarro B, Herreraramos A, Bazargan M. Number of Chronic Medical Conditions and Quality of Life of Ethnic Minority Older Adults. Geriatrics (Basel) 2022; 7:geriatrics7050106. [PMID: 36286209 PMCID: PMC9602015 DOI: 10.3390/geriatrics7050106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The Blacks’ mental health paradox is defined as disproportionately better mental health among Black individuals compared to White individuals, despite their higher exposure to a wide range of adversities. However, the existing literature on this phenomenon is mainly limited to studies that have compared Black and White individuals. There has been little research on this phenomenon among ethnic groups other than Whites. Objectives: This study tested the Blacks’ mental health paradox with consideration of Latinx individuals as the control group. Methods: This cross-sectional study collected demographic data, socioeconomic status, chronic medical conditions, and mental and physical quality of life of 724 older Black and Latinx adults residing in low socioeconomic areas of south Los Angeles. Linear regressions were used for data analysis with mental and physical health-related quality of life (HRQoL) as dependent variables and the number of chronic medical conditions as the independent variable. Results: Overall, a higher number of chronic medical conditions was associated with lower mental and physical quality of life. A statistically significant interaction was found between race/ethnicity and the effect of the number of chronic medical conditions on mental HRQoL, which was indicative of Blacks’ mental health paradox. Conclusion: Older Black adults with a higher number of chronic medical conditions report better mental health compared to their Latinx peers with the same number of chronic medical conditions. Thus, Blacks’ mental health paradox can be seen when Black and Latinx populations are compared. Replication of such a paradox provides additional support for the relative mental health advantage of Black people compared to other ethnic groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon Cobb
- Mervyn M. Dymally School of Nursing, Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Babak Najand
- Marginalization-Related Diminished Returns (MDRs) Research Center, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA
| | - Tara Gravidez
- Mervyn M. Dymally School of Nursing, Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA
| | - Berlin Navarro
- Mervyn M. Dymally School of Nursing, Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA
| | - Alondra Herreraramos
- Mervyn M. Dymally School of Nursing, Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA
| | - Mohsen Bazargan
- Marginalization-Related Diminished Returns (MDRs) Research Center, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA
- Department of Family Medicine, Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA
- Department of Urban Public Health, Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA
- Department of Family Medicine, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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