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Abstract Objectives Exposure to stressors is differentially distributed by race/ethnicity with minority groups reporting a higher stress burden than their white counterparts. However, to really understand the extent to which some groups bear a disproportionate stress burden, we need to consider race/ethnic differences in stress appraisal, specifically how upsetting stressors may be, in addition to stress exposure. We examine racial/ethnic differences in both the number of reported chronic stressors across five domains (health, financial, residential, relationship, and caregiving) and their appraised stressfulness among a diverse sample of older adults. Method Data come from 6,567 adults ages 52+ from the 2006 Health and Retirement Study. Results Results show older blacks, U.S. and foreign-born Hispanics report more chronic stress exposure than whites and are two to three times as likely to experience financial strain and housing-related stress. Socioeconomic factors fully explain the Hispanic–white difference in stress exposure, but black–white differences remain. Despite experiencing a greater number of stressors, blacks and U.S.-born Hispanics are less likely to be upset by exposure to stressors than whites. U.S.-born Hispanics are less upset by relationship-based stressors specifically, while blacks are less upset across all stress domains in fully-adjusted models. Foreign-born Hispanics are only less upset by caregiving strain. Discussion The distinction between exposure and appraisal-based measures of stress may shed light on important pathways that differentially contribute to race/ethnic physical and mental health disparities.

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Background and Objectives Prior research and theory suggest that exposure to objectively stressful events contributes to mental health disparities. Yet, Blacks report higher cumulative stress exposure than whites but lower levels of common psychiatric disorders. In order to understand why Blacks bear disproportionate stress exposure but similar or better mental health relative to whites, we need to consider race differences in not only stress exposure, but also stress appraisal—how upsetting stress exposures are perceived to be Research Design and Methods We examine whether race differences in the number of reported chronic stressors across five domains (health, financial, residential, relationship, caregiving) and their appraised stressfulness explain Black-white differences in anxiety and depressive symptoms. Data come from 6,019 adults ages 52+ from the 2006 Health and Retirement Study Results Older Blacks in this sample experience greater exposure to chronic stressors but appraise stressors as less upsetting relative to whites. In fully adjusted models stress exposure is related to higher levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms and perceiving stress as upsetting is associated with higher symptomology for whites and Blacks. We also find that Blacks report greater anxiety symptoms but fewer depressive symptoms with more stress exposure relative to whites. Stress appraisal partially explains race differences in the association between stress exposure and anxiety symptoms and fully explains race differences in the association between exposure and depressive symptoms Discussion and Implications The relationship between race, chronic stress exposure, and mental health is mediated by stress appraisal. Stress appraisal provides insight on important pathways contributing to Black-white mental health disparities in older adulthood

We show that the cardiometabolic health of older blacks worsens as they age both absolutely and relative to that of whites and Hispanics because of poor blood pressure control and diabetes prevention.