Cortisol and Racial Health Disparities Affecting Black Men in Later Life: Evidence From MIDUS II

Abstract

In the United States, Black men have poorer overall health and shorter life spans than most other racial/ethnic groups of men, largely attributable to chronic health conditions. Dysregulated patterns of daily cortisol, an indicator of hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis stress–response functioning, are linked to poor health outcomes. Questions remain regarding whether and how cortisol contributes to Black–White differences in men’s health. This exploratory study compared early day changes in cortisol levels (diurnal cortisol slopes from peak to pre-lunch levels) and their associations with medical morbidity (number of chronic medical conditions) and psychological distress (Negative Affect Scale) among 695 Black and White male participants in the National Survey of Midlife in the United States (MIDUS II, 2004–2009). Black men exhibited blunted cortisol slopes relative to White men (−.15 vs. −.21, t = −2.97, p =.004). Cortisol slopes were associated with medical morbidity among Black men (b =.050, t = 3.85, p