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

Author

Listed:
  • Natalie R Smith
  • Kenneth F Ferraro
  • Blakelee R Kemp
  • Patricia M Morton
  • Sarah A Mustillo
  • Jacqueline L Angel

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Natalie R Smith & Kenneth F Ferraro & Blakelee R Kemp & Patricia M Morton & Sarah A Mustillo & Jacqueline L Angel, 2019. "Childhood Misfortune and Handgrip Strength Among Black, White, and Hispanic Americans," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 74(3), pages 526-535.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:geronb:v:74:y:2019:i:3:p:526-535.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/geronb/gbw147
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    Cited by:

    1. Sarah Mustillo & Miao Li & Kenneth F. Ferraro, 2021. "Evaluating the Cumulative Impact of Childhood Misfortune: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach," Sociological Methods & Research, , vol. 50(3), pages 1073-1109, August.
    2. Li Lin & Weiqing Chen & Weidi Sun & Minyan Chen & Jinghua Li & Jichuan Shen & Vivian Yawei Guo, 2022. "Associations between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Obesity in a Developing Country: A Cross-Sectional Study among Middle-Aged and Older Chinese Adults," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(11), pages 1-12, June.

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