Image by Judy Baxter via flickr.
What is “successful” aging? According to experts at this week’s Gerontological Society of America Annual Scientific Conference, it depends on the lens through which it’s viewed. “Most of our current definitions are applicable to non-Latino white individuals,” said Linda Phillips, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N., from the School of Nursing at the University of California, Los Angeles. “But these definitions may be inappropriate for elders in other ethnic and racial groups.”
For African-Americans, successful aging is directly connected to the life course process, said Kia Skrine Jeffers. “Health is either built or diminished based on social, economic and environmental experiences, that occur throughout life.” Stressors which occur during sensitive periods have significant impact on disease risk, and the cumulative effect, known as weathering, may also affect health-seeking behaviors. “Many racial and ethnic health disparities can be attributed to weathering, to the accumulated experiences of economic and social adversities.” Continue reading