Prevalence of functional limitations among foreign and US-born Black older adults: 2010–2016 National Health Interview Surveys

Manka Nkimbeng; Ruth Alma Turkson-Ocran; Roland J. Thorpe; Sarah L. Szanton; Joycelyn Cudjoe; Janiece L. Taylor; Yvonne Commodore-Mensah

doi:10.1080/13557858.2019.1661357

Prevalence of functional limitations among foreign and US-born Black older adults: 2010–2016 National Health Interview Surveys

Manka Nkimbeng
, Ruth Alma Turkson-Ocran
, Roland J. Thorpe
, Sarah L. Szanton
, Joycelyn Cudjoe
, Janiece L. Taylor
, Yvonne Commodore-Mensah

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the prevalence of functional limitations in United States (US) born differs from that of foreign-born Black older adults.

DESIGN: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of data from 14,438 US-born and 1583 foreign-born Black older adults (≥50 years) in the 2010-2016 National Health Interview Surveys (NHIS). Functional limitations were defined by upper and lower extremity limitations, and global functional limitations. Generalized linear modeling using a Poisson distribution and logarithmic link function was used to compare the predicted probabilities of functional limitations in both groups.

RESULTS: The mean age (SE) of US-born Blacks was 63.56 (0.12) years and foreign-born Blacks was 62.06 (0.32). The majority (92%) of foreign-born Blacks had resided in the US for ≥10 years. US-born older adults were more likely to have upper (46% vs. 29%, p < .001) and lower (61% vs. 40%, p < .001) extremity limitations than foreign-born Blacks. The prevalence of lower extremity limitations was 22% less in foreign-born Blacks compared to US-born Blacks after adjusting for sociodemographic and health profiles (Prevalence Ratio [PR]: 0.78, 95% CI:0.73-0.84). The adjusted prevalence of upper extremity limitations in foreign-born Blacks was 27% (PR: 0.73, 95% CI: [0.68-0.79]), compared to US-born Black older adults. And that of global functional limitations was 22% less (PR: 0.78, 95% CI [0.73-0.83]) in foreign-born compared to US-born Blacks.

CONCLUSION: Compared to their US-born counterparts, foreign-born Black older adults had a markedly lower prevalence of upper and lower extremity functional limitations. Future comparative studies should examine reasons for this apparent health advantage among foreign-born adults to inform social and medical interventions to prevent functional decline in Black older adults in the US.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	61-73
Number of pages	13
Journal	Ethnicity and Health
Volume	27
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/13557858.2019.1661357
State	Published - 2022
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was supported by grants from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Research Scholar program; National Institute on Aging (NIA# 1F31AG057166-01); and Johns Hopkins Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR) which is funded in part by Grant Number TL1 TR001078 from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and NIH Roadmap for Medical Research. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official view of the Johns Hopkins ICTR, NCATS or NIH.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Keywords

Blacks
Functional limitations
lower extremity limitations
older adults
upper extremity limitations

PubMed: MeSH publication types

Journal Article
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

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10.1080/13557858.2019.1661357

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title = "Prevalence of functional limitations among foreign and US-born Black older adults: 2010–2016 National Health Interview Surveys",

abstract = "OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the prevalence of functional limitations in United States (US) born differs from that of foreign-born Black older adults.DESIGN: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of data from 14,438 US-born and 1583 foreign-born Black older adults (≥50 years) in the 2010-2016 National Health Interview Surveys (NHIS). Functional limitations were defined by upper and lower extremity limitations, and global functional limitations. Generalized linear modeling using a Poisson distribution and logarithmic link function was used to compare the predicted probabilities of functional limitations in both groups.RESULTS: The mean age (SE) of US-born Blacks was 63.56 (0.12) years and foreign-born Blacks was 62.06 (0.32). The majority (92\%) of foreign-born Blacks had resided in the US for ≥10 years. US-born older adults were more likely to have upper (46\% vs. 29\%, p < .001) and lower (61\% vs. 40\%, p < .001) extremity limitations than foreign-born Blacks. The prevalence of lower extremity limitations was 22\% less in foreign-born Blacks compared to US-born Blacks after adjusting for sociodemographic and health profiles (Prevalence Ratio [PR]: 0.78, 95\% CI:0.73-0.84). The adjusted prevalence of upper extremity limitations in foreign-born Blacks was 27\% (PR: 0.73, 95\% CI: [0.68-0.79]), compared to US-born Black older adults. And that of global functional limitations was 22\% less (PR: 0.78, 95\% CI [0.73-0.83]) in foreign-born compared to US-born Blacks. CONCLUSION: Compared to their US-born counterparts, foreign-born Black older adults had a markedly lower prevalence of upper and lower extremity functional limitations. Future comparative studies should examine reasons for this apparent health advantage among foreign-born adults to inform social and medical interventions to prevent functional decline in Black older adults in the US.",

keywords = "Blacks, Functional limitations, lower extremity limitations, older adults, upper extremity limitations",

author = "Manka Nkimbeng and Turkson-Ocran, \{Ruth Alma\} and Thorpe, \{Roland J.\} and Szanton, \{Sarah L.\} and Joycelyn Cudjoe and Taylor, \{Janiece L.\} and Yvonne Commodore-Mensah",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by grants from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Research Scholar program; National Institute on Aging (NIA\# 1F31AG057166-01); and Johns Hopkins Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR) which is funded in part by Grant Number TL1 TR001078 from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and NIH Roadmap for Medical Research. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official view of the Johns Hopkins ICTR, NCATS or NIH. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2019 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor \& Francis Group.",

year = "2022",

doi = "10.1080/13557858.2019.1661357",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "27",

pages = "61--73",

journal = "Ethnicity and Health",

issn = "1355-7858",

publisher = "Routledge",

number = "1",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Prevalence of functional limitations among foreign and US-born Black older adults

T2 - 2010–2016 National Health Interview Surveys

AU - Nkimbeng, Manka

AU - Turkson-Ocran, Ruth Alma

AU - Thorpe, Roland J.

AU - Szanton, Sarah L.

AU - Cudjoe, Joycelyn

AU - Taylor, Janiece L.

AU - Commodore-Mensah, Yvonne

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by grants from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Research Scholar program; National Institute on Aging (NIA# 1F31AG057166-01); and Johns Hopkins Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR) which is funded in part by Grant Number TL1 TR001078 from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and NIH Roadmap for Medical Research. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official view of the Johns Hopkins ICTR, NCATS or NIH. Publisher Copyright: © 2019 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the prevalence of functional limitations in United States (US) born differs from that of foreign-born Black older adults.DESIGN: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of data from 14,438 US-born and 1583 foreign-born Black older adults (≥50 years) in the 2010-2016 National Health Interview Surveys (NHIS). Functional limitations were defined by upper and lower extremity limitations, and global functional limitations. Generalized linear modeling using a Poisson distribution and logarithmic link function was used to compare the predicted probabilities of functional limitations in both groups.RESULTS: The mean age (SE) of US-born Blacks was 63.56 (0.12) years and foreign-born Blacks was 62.06 (0.32). The majority (92%) of foreign-born Blacks had resided in the US for ≥10 years. US-born older adults were more likely to have upper (46% vs. 29%, p < .001) and lower (61% vs. 40%, p < .001) extremity limitations than foreign-born Blacks. The prevalence of lower extremity limitations was 22% less in foreign-born Blacks compared to US-born Blacks after adjusting for sociodemographic and health profiles (Prevalence Ratio [PR]: 0.78, 95% CI:0.73-0.84). The adjusted prevalence of upper extremity limitations in foreign-born Blacks was 27% (PR: 0.73, 95% CI: [0.68-0.79]), compared to US-born Black older adults. And that of global functional limitations was 22% less (PR: 0.78, 95% CI [0.73-0.83]) in foreign-born compared to US-born Blacks. CONCLUSION: Compared to their US-born counterparts, foreign-born Black older adults had a markedly lower prevalence of upper and lower extremity functional limitations. Future comparative studies should examine reasons for this apparent health advantage among foreign-born adults to inform social and medical interventions to prevent functional decline in Black older adults in the US.

AB - OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the prevalence of functional limitations in United States (US) born differs from that of foreign-born Black older adults.DESIGN: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of data from 14,438 US-born and 1583 foreign-born Black older adults (≥50 years) in the 2010-2016 National Health Interview Surveys (NHIS). Functional limitations were defined by upper and lower extremity limitations, and global functional limitations. Generalized linear modeling using a Poisson distribution and logarithmic link function was used to compare the predicted probabilities of functional limitations in both groups.RESULTS: The mean age (SE) of US-born Blacks was 63.56 (0.12) years and foreign-born Blacks was 62.06 (0.32). The majority (92%) of foreign-born Blacks had resided in the US for ≥10 years. US-born older adults were more likely to have upper (46% vs. 29%, p < .001) and lower (61% vs. 40%, p < .001) extremity limitations than foreign-born Blacks. The prevalence of lower extremity limitations was 22% less in foreign-born Blacks compared to US-born Blacks after adjusting for sociodemographic and health profiles (Prevalence Ratio [PR]: 0.78, 95% CI:0.73-0.84). The adjusted prevalence of upper extremity limitations in foreign-born Blacks was 27% (PR: 0.73, 95% CI: [0.68-0.79]), compared to US-born Black older adults. And that of global functional limitations was 22% less (PR: 0.78, 95% CI [0.73-0.83]) in foreign-born compared to US-born Blacks. CONCLUSION: Compared to their US-born counterparts, foreign-born Black older adults had a markedly lower prevalence of upper and lower extremity functional limitations. Future comparative studies should examine reasons for this apparent health advantage among foreign-born adults to inform social and medical interventions to prevent functional decline in Black older adults in the US.

KW - Blacks

KW - Functional limitations

KW - lower extremity limitations

KW - older adults

KW - upper extremity limitations

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UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85071968330#tab=citedBy

U2 - 10.1080/13557858.2019.1661357

DO - 10.1080/13557858.2019.1661357

M3 - Article

C2 - 31489830

AN - SCOPUS:85071968330

SN - 1355-7858

VL - 27

SP - 61

EP - 73

JO - Ethnicity and Health

JF - Ethnicity and Health

IS - 1

ER -

Prevalence of functional limitations among foreign and US-born Black older adults: 2010–2016 National Health Interview Surveys

Abstract

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Keywords

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