DOUBLE JEOPARDY TO HEALTH HYPOTHESIS FOR AFRICAN-AMERICANS - ANALYSISAND CRITIQUE

Considerable research on minority health has examined whether members of a minority group experience more rapid health declines than the Whi te majority when both groups reach later life. Researchers have sought to determine if being both old and a member of a minority creates a d ouble disadvantage to health. The primary purpose of this research is to test the double jeopardy to health hypothesis among Black and White Americans using data from a 15-year panel study of adults: National H ealth and Nutrition Examination Survey I: Epidemiological Follow-up St udy (NHEFS). African Americans have poorer health at all three times o n a variety of health status measures, but no evidence for double jeop ardy was uncovered. There were important racial differences for change in health status but Black Americans of all ages-including Black olde r adults-suffered from growing disability and more negative ratings of health. Black adults are more likely to develop serious illness, and their ratings of health decline more rapidly than is the case for Whit e respondents. While there is little support for the double. jeopardy hypothesis as originally stated, there is overwhelming evidence to sho w that the health of Black Americans of all ages declines at a faster rate. The formulation of the double jeopardy hypothesis is critiqued o n several points: ontogenetic fallacy, attribution of discrimination, and selective mortality.