Age Discrimination May Be Taking Toll on Health of Older Adults Across U.S.
By Richard Payerchin
New research in JAMA Network Open shows that many older adults in the United States regularly experience some form of age discrimination, and that may be affecting their health. According to the results, 93% of adults aged 50-80 years reported experiencing at least one of 10 types of ageism on a regular basis. Individuals who experienced ageism more often were more likely to describe their physical health or mental health as fair or poor, and they had more chronic health issues and symptoms of depression. For the study, researchers surveyed 2,035 people through the December 2019 National Poll on Healthy Aging. The authors observed that much of the connection between everyday ageism and poor health involved internalized ageism. "Associating poor health with old age may be the most deeply rooted aging stereotype, despite evidence to the contrary," they said, with 82.3% of respondents describing their physical health was good or better. With associations also found between interpersonal ageism and ageist messages and health-related measures, the authors suggested all three types of ageism "should be considered potentially associated with detrimental health outcomes." Based on the findings, multiple efforts may be necessary "to reduce everyday ageism and promote positive beliefs, practices, and policies related to aging and older adults," the authors said.
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