Perceived age and weight discrimination worse for health than perceived racism and sexism

Perceived age and weight discrimination, more than perceived race and sex discrimination, are linked to worse health in older adults, according to new research from the Florida State University College of Medicine.

The findings are part of a study measuring changes in health over a four-year period and published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

08 may 2014--"Our previous research showed that perceived discrimination based on body weight was associated with risk of obesity. We wanted to see whether this association extended to other health indicators and types of discrimination," said lead author Angelina Sutin, assistant professor of behavioral sciences and social medicine.

"What we found was unexpected and striking."

Sutin and colleagues found that older adults who perceived weight discrimination and older adults who perceived discrimination based on age, a physical disability or other aspect of appearance had significantly lower physical and emotional health and greater declines in health compared to people who did not report experiencing such discrimination.

In contrast, perceived discrimination based on relatively fixed characteristics—race, sex, ancestry and sexual orientation—were largely unrelated to declines in physical and emotional health for the older adults.

The findings are based on a sample of more than 6,000 adults who participated in the Health and Retirement Study, a study of Americans ages 50 and older and their spouses. Participants reported on their physical, emotional and cognitive health in 2006 and 2010 and also reported on their perceived experiences with discrimination.

"We know how harmful discrimination based race and sex can be, so we were surprised that perceived discrimination based on more malleable characteristics like age and weight had a more pervasive effect on health than discrimination based on these more fixed characteristics," Sutin said.

The one exception was loneliness.

Loneliness was the most widespread health consequence of discrimination among older adults. Discrimination based on every characteristic assessed in Sutin's study was associated with greater feelings of loneliness. According to previous studies, the effects of chronic loneliness are severe: increased risk for unhealthy behaviors, sleep disturbances, cardiovascular risk factors and suicide.

"Humans have a strong need to belong, and people often feel distressed when they do not have their desired social relationships," Sutin said. "Our research suggests that perceiving a hostile society is associated with pervasive feelings of loneliness. An individual may interpret discrimination as an indication that they do not fit in the society in which they live."

More information: Paper: www.ajgponline.org/article/S1064-7481(14)00094-3/abstract

Provided by Florida State University

One in three older people experience age discrimination

New research from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) reveals 33 per cent of all older people experience perceived age discrimination, with less wealthy older men being at highest risk.

09 nov 2013--The study highlights the high levels of age discrimination faced by older people, a situation that worsens as they age. 26.6 per cent of people aged between 52 and 59 reported age discrimination, a figure which rose to 37.2 per cent for adults aged between 70 and 79.

The research reveals that the group at the highest risk of age discrimination are better educated, retired men with the low levels of wealth.

· The poorest older people were 35 per cent more likely to report age discrimination than the wealthiest.

· Retired older people were 25 per cent more likely to report age discrimination than those who were still employed.

The research also highlighted that older men faced higher levels of perceived age discrimination in many aspects of their lives in comparison with women.

• 20.7 per cent of men over the age of 52 felt that they were accorded less courtesy because of their age, in comparison to 15.2 per cent of women.
• Ten per cent of men and nine per cent of women over the age of 52 felt that they had received poorer service or treatment from doctors or hospitals than younger people because of their age.

"This research on a large representative sample of older people in England shows high levels of age discrimination," says study author Professor Andrew Steptoe (UCL Epidemiology). "Around one in three men and women aged 52 and older report that they have been discriminated against because of their age, with higher levels in less well-off older people. It is particularly concerning that around one in ten felt that they had been discriminated against in health settings, while a similar number feel that they receive poorer service than younger people in shops and restaurants.

"Older people are an increasingly large proportion of the population, and we need to be more aware of the problem of ageism. Treating people of any age with respect and courtesy is good for society, and will help increase the wellbeing of senior citizens."

Jessica Watson, Research and Public Affairs Officer at the International Longevity Centre-UK, said: "This research reveals that millions of older people perceive themselves to be on the receiving end of age discrimination. We know from other research that the worries are not just perceived. For example, age discrimination in employment remains a significant barrier to working longer. We now have legislation in place to prevent discrimination on grounds of age, but this research highlights that we have a long way to go to change negative societal attitudes to age."

Provided by University College London