Discrimination in Healthcare Settings is Associated with Disability in Older Adults: Health and Retirement Study, 2008–2012

BACKGROUND: As our society ages, improving medical care for anolder populationwill be crucial. Discrimination in healthcare may contribute to substandard experiences with the healthcare system, increasing the burden of poor health in older adults. Few studies have focused on the presence of healthcare discrimination and its effects on older adults. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to examine the relationship be-tween healthcare discrimination and new or worsened disability. DESIGN:This was a longitudinal analysis of data from the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study administered in 2008 with follow-up through 2012. PARTICIPANTS: Six thousand and seventeen adults over the age of 50 years (mean age 67 years, 56.3 % female