Social Demography Seminar presentation by Tyson Brown, PhD, assistant professor of sociology, Duke University.

ABSTRACT: Drawing on critical demography and life course perspectives, this study uses eleven waves of data from the Health and Retirement Study and growth curve models to investigate whether age intersects with race/ethnicity and nativity to shape health trajectories in ways consistent with three hypotheses—persistent inequality, cumulative disadvantage, and aging-as-leveler. Results reveal that chronic condition and functional limitation levels and rates of accumulation between ages 51-80 vary by race/ethnicity and nativity, net of death and dropout attrition (N=16,265). Furthermore, findings challenge the prevailing assumption of persistent inequality: cumulative disadvantage is the most prevalent pattern, followed by persistent inequality and aging-as-leveling processes. Importantly, the immigrant health advantage among racial/ethnic minorities waxes and wanes with advancing age, and longer duration in the U.S. lead to more rapid accumulation of chronic conditions with age among black immigrants, consistent with hypotheses of negative acculturation and cumulative disadvantage.