Trends in Poor Health Indicators among Black and Hispanic Middle-aged and Older Adults in the United States, 1999-2018

Abstract

Importance: Adults who belong to racial/ethnic minority groups are more likely than White adults to receive a diagnosis of chronic disease in the United States. Objective: To evaluate which health indicators have improved or become worse among Black and Hispanic middle-aged and older adults since the Minority Health and Health Disparities Research and Education Act of 2000. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this repeated cross-sectional study, a total of 4856326 records were extracted from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System from January 1999 through December 2018 of persons who self-identified as Black (non-Hispanic), Hispanic (non-White), or White and who were 45 years or older. Exposure: The 1999 legislation to reduce racial/ethnic health disparities. Main Outcomes and Measures: Poor health indicators and disparities including major chronic diseases, physical inactivity, uninsured status, and overall poor health. Results: Among the 4856326 participants (2958041 [60.9%] women; mean [SD] age, 60.4 [11.8] years), Black adults showed an overall decrease indicating improvement in uninsured status (β = -0.40%; P