BACKGROUND This study examines the relationship between self-reported instances of major discrimination and inflammation among older adults, and explores whether this relationship varies in accordance with race/ethnicity. We hypothesized that self-reported instances of major discrimination would be associated with higher levels of high-risk inflammation and that this relationship would be stronger for racial/ethnic minorities than whites. METHODS Data from the 2006/2008 Health and Retirement Study, an ongoing biennial nationally representative sample of older adults in the United States, were used to collect measures of self-reported instances of major discrimination and high-risk C-reactive protein (CRP), which was assayed from blood samples. Modified Poisson regression with robust standard errors was applied to estimate the prevalence ratios of self-reported instances of major discrimination, as it relates to high-risk CRP (CRP ≥ 22 kg/m2), and test whether this relationship varies by race/ethnicity. RESULTS Respondents who experienced any instances of major discrimination had a higher likelihood of high-risk CRP (prevalence ratio [PR]: 1.14, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.07-1.22) than those who did not report experiencing any instances of major discrimination. This association was independent of differences in newly diagnosed health conditions and socioeconomic status. The relationship between any self-reported instance of major discrimination and high-risk CRP was weaker for blacks than whites (PR: 0.81, 95% CI = 0.69-0.95). CONCLUSIONS Our study confirms that self-reported instances of major lifetime discrimination is a psychosocial factor that is adversely associated with high-risk CRP among older adults; this association is especially pronounced among older whites. Future studies among this population are required to examine whether the relationship between self-reported instances of major discrimination and high-risk CRP changes over time.

中文翻译：

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老年人自我报告的主要歧视、种族/民族和炎症的实例：来自健康和退休研究的证据。


背景本研究调查了老年人自我报告的重大歧视事件与炎症之间的关系，并探讨了这种关系是否因种族/民族而异。我们假设，自我报告的重大歧视事件与较高水平的高风险炎症有关，并且这种关系对于少数种族/族裔来说比白人更强烈。方法 2006/2008 年健康与退休研究（一项正在进行的每两年一次的美国老年人全国代表性样本）的数据用于收集自我报告的重大歧视事件和高风险 C 反应蛋白 (CRP) 的测量值，这是从血液样本中测定的。采用具有稳健标准误的修正泊松回归来估计自我报告的重大歧视实例的患病率，因为它与高风险 CRP（CRP ≥ 22 kg/m2）相关，并测试这种关系是否因种族/民族而异。结果 经历过任何重大歧视事件的受访者比那些未报告经历过任何重大歧视事件的受访者患高风险 CRP 的可能性更高（患病率 [PR]：1.14，95% 置信区间 [CI] = 1.07-1.22）歧视。这种关联与新诊断的健康状况和社会经济地位的差异无关。黑人自我报告的重大歧视事件与高风险 CRP 之间的关系比白人弱（PR：0.81，95% CI = 0.69-0.95）。 结论 我们的研究证实，自我报告的重大终生歧视事件是一种心理社会因素，与老年人中的高风险 CRP 呈负相关。这种关联在老年白人中尤其明显。未来需要对该人群进行研究，以检验自我报告的重大歧视事件与高风险 CRP 之间的关系是否随时间而变化。