Health Disparities Teased Out Between Elderly Blacks, Whites

Factors assessed included education level, income, social support, smoking, body mass index, self-rated health, and having supplemental health insurance in addition to Medicare.

After adjusting for both demographics and socioeconomic status, African Americans still had a 25% higher risk of mortality, she said.

A 60% increased risk of death from coronary heart disease in blacks, compared with whites, resulted primarily from socioeconomic status, which accounted for 96% of the increase. Socioeconomic status explained nearly a third of a 75% increase in risk of death from cancer in blacks, and the lack of supplemental health insurance accounted for 18% of the cancer death risk increase, she added.

After adjustment for demographic variables, African Americans had a 60% higher risk of mortality than did whites. DR. KOSTER