Black White Difference in Long Term Predictive Power of Self-Rated Health on All-Cause Mortality in United States

摘要

PurposeDespite the well-established association between self-rated health (SRH) and mortality, limited information exists on Black-White differences in this link. Using a nationally representative sample of adults in the United States, the current study had four aims: 1) to assess whether the association between baseline SRH and all-cause mortality over a long follow up differs for Blacks and Whites, 2) to test whether any race difference in the SRH – mortality link depends on how the SRH variable is treated (e.g., nominal, dichotomous, continuous), 3) to test if the SRH – mortality link or any differences in the association by race are explained by differences in objective health measures (chronic medical conditions [CMC]), and (4) to assess whether these associations vary by gender.