Insight Hub

There is a pressing need to understand the health of older adults (ie, those aged ≥55 years) from minority ethnic groups in England. Although minority ethnic groups in England have young age structures relative to the whole population, historic migration patterns mean that there are substantial and increasing numbers of older people from minority ethnic groups, including settled migrants and British-born individuals.

Estimates of life expectancy and healthy life expectancy at birth are lower for most minority ethnic groups than for White British people in England, with some large inequalities. For example, compared with their White British counterparts, estimates of disability-free life expectancy are approximately 10 years lower for Bangladeshi men and 12 years lower for Pakistani women. Estimates from surveys and longitudinal studies indicate higher burdens of long-term conditions and poorer self-rated health among older adults from most minority ethnic groups than those with a White British background. Some studies have provided evidence of an interaction between ethnicity, gender, and age, with disparities often greater for women than men and increasing with age.

 

This observation could be due to life-course effects, with a cumulative compounding of disadvantage originating from the experience of structural, institutional, and interpersonal racism. For individuals born abroad, there could have been health disadvantages in their country of birth and periods of vulnerability before, during, and after migration—although, these are far from universal experiences.