Plight of Older Americans: Insights into the Lives of African American Women

The proportion of Americans aged 65 years and above is increasing steadily, and one in seven Americans is now in that age group. There are 126 females per 100 males in this age group. Around 9% of those in age group are non-Hispanic African Americans. The latter experience worse health and racial inequalities in health as compared to white Americans owing to their disproportionate access to resources like education, income opportunities etc. They also have a lower median income as compared to their White peers. Low-income African Americans are also disproportionately more likely to be exposed to violence and crime which in turn affects both their physical and mental health. In fact, four in five African American women are overweight or obese and are almost twice as likely to have diabetes as compared to their White peers. This community is also at a higher risk of experiencing mood and anxiety disorders which are linked to their greater mortality and morbidity rates. Despite this, this group is less likely to use healthcare services as opposed to Whites as help-seeking behaviors are driven by culturally specific attitudes and experiences. The healthcare system is now becoming more aware of this phenomenon, and several policy and healthcare culture changes have been introduced.