Physical and mental health quality of life among underserved African American and Latino older adults

ABSTRACT

Objectives:

There is an increasing amount of research on Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) among older adults in the U.S. However, under-resourced and underserved African American and Latino older adults remain underrepresented in research and interventional studies, resulting in limited data on their quality of life and health promotion practices. This study examined the association between HRQoL and several layers of independent variables, including health conditions, level of pain, sleep disorders, and lifestyle factors, among African American and Latino older adults.

Design:

Nine hundred and five African Americans and Latinos aged 55 years and older from an underserved urban community participated in this face-to-face structured study. Multiple linear regression was performed.

Results:

This study documented that HRQoL among African American and Latino participants was substantially lower compared with their White counterparts reported by other studies. Adjusting for other relevant variables, this study documented an association between: (1) physical HRQoL and financial strain, perceived health, the severity of pain, number of major chronic conditions, smoking, and binge drinking; and (2) mental HRQoL and financial strain, perceived health status, the severity of pain, and sleep disorders.

Conclusion:

Significantly lower levels of HRQoL among underserved African American and Latino older adults, compared with their White counterparts, point to another important racial/ethnic disparity in the U.S. geriatric population. The devastating consequences of financial strain, excessive chronic conditions, undiagnosed and untreated pain, and sleep disorders are all experienced by underserved African American and Latino older adults, and these factors directly contribute to a lower quality of life among this segment of our population. Longitudinal multi-faceted, multi-disciplinary, culturally sensitive, both clinic- and community-based participatory interventions are needed to address these factors, particularly pain and sleep disorders, in order to enhance the quality of life among these underserved communities.

KEYWORDS:

• Quality of life
• African Americans
• Latinos
• pain
• sleep disorders
• older adults

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethics approval

Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the Institutional Review Committee of the CDU. Participants provided informed consent. The authors assert that all procedures contributing to this work comply with the ethical standards of the relevant national and institutional committees.

Informed consent

Prior to the face-to-face structured interviews, all older adults who participated in this study were given information about the study including potential risk and benefits. Consent form significantly described the purpose of the study. Ample opportunity was allowed for participants and their family members to ask questions and to discuss what it meant. All participant signed the consent forms. Illiterate participants provided consent in the presence of a reliable or legally authorized family member.

Consent for publication

The consent form informed participants that the information collected from them will be used in a non-identified format for designing additional interventional studies and manuscripts/publications.

Data availability

Personal identification details of the participants were separated from the completed questionnaires. The data were stored in a locked room at the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU). No information relating to identifiable individuals was disseminated at all. The data sets used and analyzed in the current study are available from the corresponding author for collaborative studies.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) grant 1H0CMS331621 to Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (PI: M. Bazargan). Additionally, Drs. Bazargan and Cobb were supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIMHD) under award R25 MD007610 (PI: M. Bazargan).