Racial or Ethnic Health Disparities among Older Adults in Four Population Groups in South Africa

Background: Racial or ethnic health disparities have been evidently apparent during the apartheid era in South Africa. This study aims to assess ethnic health disparities in four elderly population groups. Methods: Data for this study emanated from the 2008 study of “Global AGEing and adult health (...

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Autores principales: Nancy Phaswana-Mafuya, Karl Peltzer
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Publicado: Ubiquity Press 2018
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spelling oai:doaj.org-article:2b66c88b59e84c6f8255efa58aef29dd2021-12-02T01:52:26ZRacial or Ethnic Health Disparities among Older Adults in Four Population Groups in South Africa2214-999610.29024/aogh.13https://doaj.org/article/2b66c88b59e84c6f8255efa58aef29dd2018-04-01T00:00:00Zhttps://annalsofglobalhealth.org/articles/13https://doaj.org/toc/2214-9996Background: Racial or ethnic health disparities have been evidently apparent during the apartheid era in South Africa. This study aims to assess ethnic health disparities in four elderly population groups. Methods: Data for this study emanated from the 2008 study of “Global AGEing and adult health (SAGE) wave 1” (N = 3284) aged 50 years or older in South Africa. Associations between exposure variables and outcome variables (health status variables and chronic conditions) were examined through bivariate analyses and multivariable logistic regression. Results: Indians or Asians reported the highest prevalence of poor self-rated health (23.7%) and functional disability (11.6% and 29.1%). Coloureds had the lowest grip strength (55.3%) and Whites the highest cognitive functioning (80.1%). Coloureds had the highest prevalence of hypertension (85.0%), stroke and/or angina (15.0%), edentulism (26.8%) and low vision (50.6%); and Indians or Asians had the highest prevalence of arthritis (43.5%) and diabetes (24.4%). In adjusted analysis, Whites (Odds Ratio [OR]: 0.24, Confidence Interval [CI]: 0.11, 0.57) and Coloureds (OR: 0.50, CI: 0.29, 0.87) had lower odds of self-reported health status compared to Black Africans. Coloureds (OR: 0.36, CI: 0.22, 0.61) had lower odds of grip strength than Black Africans. Indians or Asians had higher odds of functional disability (OR: 1.87, CI: 1.03, 3.02) and diabetes (OR: 2.65, CI: 1.45, 4.83) than Black Africans. Whites (OR: 3.92, CI: 1.63, 9.41) and Coloureds (OR: 2.14, CI: 1.21, 3.78) had higher odds of cognitive functioning than Black Africans. Whites had lower odds (OR: 0.54, CI: 0.31, 0.93) and Indians or Asians had higher odds (OR: 1.91, CI: 1.91, 1.01, 3.59) of arthritis than Black Africans. Coloureds had a higher prevalence of hypertension (OR: 1.71, CI: 1.14, 2.58), stroke and/or angina (OR: 1.74, CI = 1.36, 2.22), edentulism (OR: 6.51, CI: 4.07, 10.41) and low vision (OR: 1.68, CI: 1.29, 2.19) than Black Africans. Conclusion: There are still ethnic health disparities in South Africa in the post-apartheid era (i.e., Black Africans [lower cognitive functioning], Whites [poor self-reported health status and edentulism], Coloureds [poor self-reported health status, lower grip strength, arthritis, hypertension, stroke and/or angina, edentulism and low vision], Indians or Asians [poor functional disability, arthritis and diabetes]). Understanding these ethnic health disparities may help in developing better strategies to improve health across population groups.Nancy Phaswana-MafuyaKarl PeltzerUbiquity PressarticleInfectious and parasitic diseasesRC109-216Public aspects of medicineRA1-1270ENAnnals of Global Health, Vol 84, Iss 1, Pp 7-13 (2018)
institution DOAJ
collection DOAJ
language EN
topic Infectious and parasitic diseases
RC109-216
Public aspects of medicine
RA1-1270
spellingShingle Infectious and parasitic diseases
RC109-216
Public aspects of medicine
RA1-1270
Nancy Phaswana-Mafuya
Karl Peltzer
Racial or Ethnic Health Disparities among Older Adults in Four Population Groups in South Africa
description Background: Racial or ethnic health disparities have been evidently apparent during the apartheid era in South Africa. This study aims to assess ethnic health disparities in four elderly population groups. Methods: Data for this study emanated from the 2008 study of “Global AGEing and adult health (SAGE) wave 1” (N = 3284) aged 50 years or older in South Africa. Associations between exposure variables and outcome variables (health status variables and chronic conditions) were examined through bivariate analyses and multivariable logistic regression. Results: Indians or Asians reported the highest prevalence of poor self-rated health (23.7%) and functional disability (11.6% and 29.1%). Coloureds had the lowest grip strength (55.3%) and Whites the highest cognitive functioning (80.1%). Coloureds had the highest prevalence of hypertension (85.0%), stroke and/or angina (15.0%), edentulism (26.8%) and low vision (50.6%); and Indians or Asians had the highest prevalence of arthritis (43.5%) and diabetes (24.4%). In adjusted analysis, Whites (Odds Ratio [OR]: 0.24, Confidence Interval [CI]: 0.11, 0.57) and Coloureds (OR: 0.50, CI: 0.29, 0.87) had lower odds of self-reported health status compared to Black Africans. Coloureds (OR: 0.36, CI: 0.22, 0.61) had lower odds of grip strength than Black Africans. Indians or Asians had higher odds of functional disability (OR: 1.87, CI: 1.03, 3.02) and diabetes (OR: 2.65, CI: 1.45, 4.83) than Black Africans. Whites (OR: 3.92, CI: 1.63, 9.41) and Coloureds (OR: 2.14, CI: 1.21, 3.78) had higher odds of cognitive functioning than Black Africans. Whites had lower odds (OR: 0.54, CI: 0.31, 0.93) and Indians or Asians had higher odds (OR: 1.91, CI: 1.91, 1.01, 3.59) of arthritis than Black Africans. Coloureds had a higher prevalence of hypertension (OR: 1.71, CI: 1.14, 2.58), stroke and/or angina (OR: 1.74, CI = 1.36, 2.22), edentulism (OR: 6.51, CI: 4.07, 10.41) and low vision (OR: 1.68, CI: 1.29, 2.19) than Black Africans. Conclusion: There are still ethnic health disparities in South Africa in the post-apartheid era (i.e., Black Africans [lower cognitive functioning], Whites [poor self-reported health status and edentulism], Coloureds [poor self-reported health status, lower grip strength, arthritis, hypertension, stroke and/or angina, edentulism and low vision], Indians or Asians [poor functional disability, arthritis and diabetes]). Understanding these ethnic health disparities may help in developing better strategies to improve health across population groups.
format article
author Nancy Phaswana-Mafuya
Karl Peltzer
author_facet Nancy Phaswana-Mafuya
Karl Peltzer
author_sort Nancy Phaswana-Mafuya
title Racial or Ethnic Health Disparities among Older Adults in Four Population Groups in South Africa
title_short Racial or Ethnic Health Disparities among Older Adults in Four Population Groups in South Africa
title_full Racial or Ethnic Health Disparities among Older Adults in Four Population Groups in South Africa
title_fullStr Racial or Ethnic Health Disparities among Older Adults in Four Population Groups in South Africa
title_full_unstemmed Racial or Ethnic Health Disparities among Older Adults in Four Population Groups in South Africa
title_sort racial or ethnic health disparities among older adults in four population groups in south africa
publisher Ubiquity Press
publishDate 2018
url https://doaj.org/article/2b66c88b59e84c6f8255efa58aef29dd
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