Childhood school segregation and later life sense of control and physical performance in the African American Health cohort

Abstract

Background: The association between childhood school desegregation and later life sense of control and physical performance among African Americans is not clear. We hypothesized that childhood school desegregation adversely affected the sense of control of in later life, and that this reduced sense of control accounts in part for reduced physical performance. Methods. In-home follow-up assessments were completed in 2010 with 582 of the 58-74 year old men and women participating in the on-going African American Health cohort. We used these data to examine the relationship between (a) retrospective self-reports of attending segregated schools during one's 1§ssup§st§esup§- to-12§ssup§th§esup§ grade education and one's current sense of control, as well as (b) the association between current sense of control and physical performance. Multiple linear regression analysis with propensity score re-weighting was used. Results: Attending segregated schools for at least half of one's 1§ssup§st§esup§-to- 12§ssup§th§esup§ grade education was significantly associated with higher scores on the sense of control. Adjusting for all covariates and potential confounders, those receiving half or more of their 1§ssup§st§esup§-to-12§ssup§th§esup§ grade education in segregated schools had sense of control scores that were.886 points higher (p ≤.01; standardized effect size =.22). Sense of control scores were independently (all p