Longitudinal Study of African-American Oldest Old, 1988-1996

The purpose of this longitudinal study was to understand the functioning and family structure of White American and African American oldest old. The researcher examined how the participants manage their physical environment, maintain social relations, and sustain a sense of well-being. There were 122 African American and 150 White American participants, aged eighty-five years and older. The sample was constructed by selecting names from public voting records and several community organizations in San Francisco and Oakland, California. Additional names were obtained through peer referrals, because of the small population of African Americans in the selected age group. Letters were sent to participants eighty-five years and older, followed by a phone call to schedule an interview. Interviews were conducted in the participant's home and lasted 2-3 hours, and sometimes involved two visits to complete. The interview contained both open-ended and closed-ended questions. Variables assessed include demographic variables, socioeconomic status, physical status, psychological status, social integration, and formal support. Demographics include age, gender, marital and household status, number of surviving and deceased children, and religious denominations. Socioeconomic status was examined using education and occupation variables, sources of income, qualification for public assistance, and a self-report economic well being variable. Physical status was evaluated with five measures which examined items of personal care like feeding and hygiene. Psychological status includes self-reported mood ratings and was also assessed using eight items from the Bradburn Affect Balance Scale. Social integration variables include information from discussions about category of relatives, levels of assistance, rewards from relationships, and relationship satisfaction. Formal support measured the use of home care, special transportation needs, and other forms of support. The Murray Research Archive holds 122 questionnaires for the African American sample. Follow-up is not possible