Childhood Misfortune and Handgrip Strength Among Black, White, and Hispanic Americans

Natalie R Smith, Kenneth F Ferraro, Blakelee R Kemp, Patricia M Morton, Sarah A Mustillo and Jacqueline L Angel

The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 2019, vol. 74, issue 3, 526-535

Abstract: ObjectiveAlthough early-life insults may affect health, few studies use objective physical measures of adult health. This study investigated whether experiencing misfortune during childhood is associated with handgrip strength (HGS) in later life.MethodData on childhood misfortune and adult characteristics from the Health and Retirement Study were used to predict baseline and longitudinal change in HGS among White, Black, and Hispanic American men and women.ResultsRegression analyses revealed that multiple indicators of childhood misfortune were related to HGS at baseline, but the relationships were distinct for men and women. Over the study, having one childhood impairment predicted steeper declines in HGS for men, but childhood misfortune was unrelated to HGS change among women. Hispanic Americans had lower baseline HGS than their non-Hispanic counterparts and manifested steeper declines in HGS.DiscussionThe relationship between childhood exposures and adult HGS varied by the type of misfortune, but there was no evidence that the relationship varied by race/ethnicity. The significant and enduring Hispanic disadvantage in HGS warrants greater attention in gerontology.

Keywords: Childhood disadvantage; Disability; Life course epidemiology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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The Journals of Gerontology: Series B is currently edited by Psychological Sciences - S. Duke Han, PhD and Social Sciences - Jessica A Kelley, PhD, FGSA

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