The American Geriatrics Society -

For Immediate Release
May 5, 2006

For more information:
Erin Weller
(212) 308-1414 x 329

When Healthcare Providers Ask, "How's Your Health?" Caucasian and African-American Seniors May Interpret the Question Differently

Chicago, IL -- Older Caucasian and African-American adults may interpret the question, "How's your health?" quite differently, largely because of differences in educational background, according to a study presented here today at the American Geriatrics Society's 2006 annual scientific meeting.

The study investigated the link between self-rated health and mortality among more than 14,000 Caucasian and 2,400 African-American adults aged 50 or older. Numerous studies have found that, in general, older adults who say their health is poor are more likely to die within a few years than those who say they're in good health.

In the study -- one of the first to look at differences between self-rated health and mortality between older Caucasian and African-American adults --- researchers at the University of California at San Francisco studied more than 16,000 older adults who were surveyed and asked two questions: "Do you consider yourself primarily white or Caucasian or black or African-American?" and "Would you say your health is excellent, very good, good, fair or poor?" The researchers compared the number of deaths in each group four years after the survey.

Self-rated health was a better predictor of four-year mortality among Caucasians than among African-Americans, the researchers found. Fewer than 5% of Caucasians who rated their health as excellent, for example, died within the four year period. But roughly 8% of African-Americans who rated their health as excellent died within that period. When the researchers took into account the educational backgrounds of the older adults, however, they found that education accounted for much of the difference in the association between self-rated health and four-year mortality between Caucasians and African-Americans.

Since health care providers and researchers often ask patients some version of "How's your health?" they should be aware that the question "may have different meanings for different subjects," conclude the researchers, Sei Lee, MD, Karla Lindquist, MS, and Kenneth Covinsky, MD, MPH.

Founded in 1942, the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) is a nationwide, not-for-profit association of geriatrics health care professionals dedicated to improving the health, independence and quality of life of all older people. The society supports this mission through activities in: clinical practice; professional education on the clinical care of older people; research; public education and information; public policy efforts; and through collaborative relationships with other organizations. For more information about AGS programs and initiatives, visit the AGS Web site at www.americangeriatrics.org.