264465 Life course disadvantage of African Americans and chronic disease in adulthood

Tuesday, October 30, 2012 : 2:30 PM - 2:42 PM

Shellery Cunningham, MSPH , Department of Public Health Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
Jan Warren-Findlow, PhD , Department of Public Health Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
Ahmed A. Arif, MBBS, PhD, CPH, FACE , Department of Public Health Sciences, UNC Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
Social disadvantage in childhood has been associated with worse health outcomes for adults. This study examines the association between receiving welfare benefits in childhood and having diagnosed hypertension or diabetes in adulthood among Blacks ages 34-85. Data were from the Milwaukee oversample of 592 Blacks from the second Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS II) Study. Logistic regression estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) representing the association between childhood welfare status and an adult diagnosis of either hypertension or diabetes. The sample was 68% female with average age 52. Over half (52%) had hypertension; 17.7% had diabetes. Twenty-eight percent reported having received welfare benefits as children. In unadjusted analyses, having received welfare benefits in childhood was associated with lower odds of having diabetes (OR 0.59; CI 0.35-0.99). After adjusting for age, having received welfare benefits in childhood was not associated adult diabetes. In unadjusted analyses, having received welfare benefits in childhood was associated with lower odds of hypertension (OR 0.63, CI 0.44-0.92). After adjusting for age and smoking, the result was not significant. While results were not significant, further research examining childhood welfare status as a protective factor for adult-onset chronic disease may be warranted. Ensuring access to care to disadvantaged children may be protective of chronic disease in adulthood.

Learning Areas:
Diversity and culture
Public health or related public policy
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Describe the association between childhood disadvantage and diagnosis of disease in adulthood. Identify potential opportunities for intervention to prevent health disparities among African-Americans and low SES groups.

Keywords: African American, Welfare

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been the principal of research focusing on public policy and health disparities. My scientific interests has been the application of health policy to prevent the persistence of chronic diseases and low income disparities.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.