Abstract：
OBJECTIVE: Although prior research has identified racial/ethnic and gender differences in successful aging (SA), heterogeneity within groups has been little examined. We consequently explore the variety of aging experiences among older Black women.
METHODS: We used the 2010/2012 U.S. Health and Retirement Study, limiting analyses to Black women who completed the Psychosocial Leave-Behind Questionnaire (N = 1,186). We conducted latent class analysis (LCA) using indicators of physical health, psychological well-being, social support/strain, and social engagement.
RESULTS: Six SA latent classes were identified and labeled according to their distinctive characteristics: infirm, isolated, taxed, independent, vivacious, and robust. The infirm class had uniformly poor health, while the isolated class was in poor physical health but also lacked social relations. Although both had average physical health and psychological well-being, the taxed class experienced high levels of social support and social strain compared to the high support (and unpartnered) independent class. The vivacious and robust classes exhibited high physical health and psychological well-being, high social support/low social strain, and high social engagement, but vivacious women (23% of respondents) were unpartnered and robust women (16% of respondents) were partnered. The robust class had the highest physical and psychological well-being, and best social relations across all classes.
CONCLUSIONS: Using nationally representative data, we reveal significant heterogeneity in Black women\'s aging experiences. Although many face difficult aging experiences, 39% of older Black women fit the SA framework well. Future work should recognize that Black women\'s aging experiences are not homogenous.
METHODS: We used the 2010/2012 U.S. Health and Retirement Study, limiting analyses to Black women who completed the Psychosocial Leave-Behind Questionnaire (N = 1,186). We conducted latent class analysis (LCA) using indicators of physical health, psychological well-being, social support/strain, and social engagement.
RESULTS: Six SA latent classes were identified and labeled according to their distinctive characteristics: infirm, isolated, taxed, independent, vivacious, and robust. The infirm class had uniformly poor health, while the isolated class was in poor physical health but also lacked social relations. Although both had average physical health and psychological well-being, the taxed class experienced high levels of social support and social strain compared to the high support (and unpartnered) independent class. The vivacious and robust classes exhibited high physical health and psychological well-being, high social support/low social strain, and high social engagement, but vivacious women (23% of respondents) were unpartnered and robust women (16% of respondents) were partnered. The robust class had the highest physical and psychological well-being, and best social relations across all classes.
CONCLUSIONS: Using nationally representative data, we reveal significant heterogeneity in Black women\'s aging experiences. Although many face difficult aging experiences, 39% of older Black women fit the SA framework well. Future work should recognize that Black women\'s aging experiences are not homogenous.
摘要：
目标：尽管先前的研究已经确定了成功衰老（SA）中的种族/族裔和性别差异，组内的异质性很少被研究。因此，我们探索了老年黑人女性的各种衰老经历。
方法：我们使用了2010/2012年美国健康与退休研究，对完成心理社会留守问卷的黑人女性进行限制性分析(N=1,186)。我们使用身体健康指标进行了潜在类别分析(LCA)，心理健康，社会支持/紧张，和社会参与。
结果：根据其独特特征，确定并标记了六个SA潜在类别：虚弱，孤立的,征税,独立,活泼的，和强大的。体弱多病的阶级身体都不好，孤立的阶级虽然身体健康状况不佳，但也缺乏社会关系。虽然两人都有平均的身体健康和心理健康，与高支持（和无合作）的独立阶级相比，纳税阶级经历了高水平的社会支持和社会压力。活泼健壮的班级表现出很高的身体健康和心理健康，高社会支持/低社会压力，和高度的社会参与，但活泼的女性(23%的受访者)没有伴侣,健壮的女性(16%的受访者)有伴侣.健壮的班级拥有最高的身体和心理健康，以及所有阶层的最佳社会关系。
结论：使用具有全国代表性的数据，我们揭示了黑人女性衰老经历的显著异质性。尽管许多人面临艰难的衰老经历，39%的老年黑人女性很适合SA框架。未来的工作应该认识到，黑人女性的衰老经历不是同质的。
方法：我们使用了2010/2012年美国健康与退休研究，对完成心理社会留守问卷的黑人女性进行限制性分析(N=1,186)。我们使用身体健康指标进行了潜在类别分析(LCA)，心理健康，社会支持/紧张，和社会参与。
结果：根据其独特特征，确定并标记了六个SA潜在类别：虚弱，孤立的,征税,独立,活泼的，和强大的。体弱多病的阶级身体都不好，孤立的阶级虽然身体健康状况不佳，但也缺乏社会关系。虽然两人都有平均的身体健康和心理健康，与高支持（和无合作）的独立阶级相比，纳税阶级经历了高水平的社会支持和社会压力。活泼健壮的班级表现出很高的身体健康和心理健康，高社会支持/低社会压力，和高度的社会参与，但活泼的女性(23%的受访者)没有伴侣,健壮的女性(16%的受访者)有伴侣.健壮的班级拥有最高的身体和心理健康，以及所有阶层的最佳社会关系。
结论：使用具有全国代表性的数据，我们揭示了黑人女性衰老经历的显著异质性。尽管许多人面临艰难的衰老经历，39%的老年黑人女性很适合SA框架。未来的工作应该认识到，黑人女性的衰老经历不是同质的。
