Socioeconomic characteristics, dietary and lifestyle patterns, and health and weight status of older adults in NHANES, 1999-2002: a comparison of Caucasians and African Americans.

摘要

There are disparities among older Caucasian and African American adults in many areas. Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted from 1999 to 2002, this study compared self-reported dietary intakes, physical activity and economic and health status of Caucasian (N = 1,398) and African American (N = 354) adults aged >=65 yr. Regression models and t-tests ( alpha = 0.05) were used for comparisons. More African Americans than Caucasians lived in low-income households (40.4 vs. 21.3%), lived in households that were not fully food-secure (15.6 vs. 4.9%), watched >=5 h of television (34 vs. 20%), and were told that they had diabetes (10 vs. 4%) or high blood pressure (67 vs. 52%). They consumed 253 fewer calories than Caucasians. About 75% of African American women were overweight. These findings indicate that for those >65 yr of age, low-income African Americans are at a greater risk for poor nutrition and chronic health conditions than Caucasians.