Exposure to Violence, Loneliness, and Aging among Older Black Americans

• In Event: Integrating Health and Aging into Criminological Inquiry

Abstract

Research into the epidemic of loneliness and its components (e.g., social isolation) has found a relationship with myriad health outcomes, such as impaired cognitive functioning, sleep, mental and physical well-being, and premature death. One understudied population particularly vulnerable to loneliness is Black older adults who are disproportionately exposed to direct and indirect violence, and neighborhood violence. This study utilizes Woodlawn Study data, a community cohort of urban Black Americans from Chicago who first participated in the study in 1966 (age 6, n=1242) and most recently at age 62 (n=531) to test these associations. Multivariable regression assesses the relationship between direct and indirect exposure (i.e., assault, shootings) in the past 10 years and current neighborhood violence (i.e., problem with guns, drugs, and gangs) at age 62 and the 3-item UCLA loneliness composite scale (alpha=.783). Models controlling for sociodemographic and health variables at age 62 highlight the importance of neighborhood violence and living alone as risk factors and financial stability as protective. Direct and indirect exposure to violence were not associated with loneliness. The results suggest that for older Black Americans, exposure to neighborhood violence may be an important contributor to diminished healthy aging through its impact on loneliness.

Authors

• Elaine Eggleston Doherty, University of Maryland

• Brittany A. Bugbee, University of Maryland

• Kerry M. Green, University of Maryland