Self‐perception of aging and perceived medical discrimination

Na Sun · Ziyao Xu · Cassandra L. Hua · Xiao Hui Qiu · Amelia Pittman · Basel Abdou +1 more

11 citations0/0 files storedJournal of the American Geriatrics Society

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Aging and Gerontology Research Retirement, Disability, and Employment Health disparities and outcomes

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Individuals who perceive medical discrimination often face adverse consequences. How individuals perceive their own aging experiences may influence perceived medical discrimination due to age by generating expectations that they will receive poor treatment from clinicians, which may be amplified for individuals who also perceive discrimination because of race. This study explored the relationship between self-perceptions of aging (SPA) and perceived medical discrimination due to age, race, and other reasons. METHODS: We used three waves (2008, 2012, 2016) from the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study (HRS) data. Our sample included 10,188 community-residing individuals aged 51 and over. SPA were measured by two domains: positive SPA and negative SPA. Multinomial logistic regression that adjusted for demographic, health characteristics, and year-fixed effects was conducted to estimate the relationship between SPA and categories of perceived medical discrimination (age, race, age and race, and other). RESULTS: Approximately 11% of the population perceived discrimination because of age or race in the medical setting from 2008 to 2016. Older adults who had a positive SPA were 15% [Adjusted relative risk ratio (ARR): 0.85, 95% CI: 0.79-0.91], 13% [ARRR: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.76-1.00], and 20% [ARRR: 0.80, 95% CI: 0.74-0.88] less likely to experience perceived medical discrimination due to age, race, and the intersection of age and race, respectively, than those who did not, holding other factors constant. Those who held a negative SPA were 38% [ARRR: 1.38, 95% CI: 1.28-1.48] more likely to report perceived medical discrimination due to age and 12% [ARRR: 1.12, 95% CI: 1.03-1.21] more likely to report perceived medical discrimination due to other reasons. CONCLUSIONS: Holding a positive perception of aging may help reduce perceived medical discrimination because of age and race, which may in turn improve communication and lead to timely and appropriate treatment.

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References

2009Stereotype Embodiment 2002Longevity increased by positive self-perceptions of aging.2014Systemic racism and U.S. health care 2004Racial and ethnic differences in patient perceptions of bias and cultural competence in health care 2009A conceptual analysis of Ageism 2012Patterns and Predictors of Disclosure of Sexual Orientation to Healthcare Providers Among Lesbians, Gay Men, and Bisexuals 2016Ageism can be Hazardous to Women's Health: Ageism, Sexism, and Stereotypes of Older Women in the Healthcare System 2002Do Older Adults Expect to Age Successfully? The Association Between Expectations Regarding Aging and Beliefs Regarding Healthcare Seeking Among Older Adults

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2023Ageism as a barrier to eliciting what matters: A call for multigenerational action to confront the invisible “‐ism”2025Perceived age stigma and emotional isolation in later life: a sequential mediation through self-esteem and aging anxiety 2025How positive self-perceptions of aging affects older adults' life satisfaction in China: A chain mediating model 2026Psychosocial Resources and Constraints: Distinct Pathways to Positive and Negative Self-Perceptions of Aging in Diverse Older Adults

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