Understanding Racial Undercurrents: Health Management Experiences of Black Older Adults Living in Affordable Housing

Factors such as historical experiences, injustices, and limited access to healthcare have a significant impact on health management decision-making. To navigate through a complex healthcare system, an individual’s personal and structural experiences can significantly shape their perception and understanding of health information, which in turn influences their health management. This qualitative grounded theory study was completed in two parts: researchers first explored how older adults living in affordable housing managed their health and then developed the theoretical direction to explore racial influences affecting health management using theoretical sampling to gather perspectives of minority older adults to answer the research question, how do minority older adults living in affordable housing understand racial influences on health management? Using semi-structured interviews, researchers in part 1 of this study interviewed six older adults living in affordable housing and in part 2 of this study, four residents in affordable housing who identified as minority older adults were interviewed. Researchers used Charmaz’s analysis methods to inductively build theory via action coding and constant comparison methods. The core category, Racial Undercurrent (influencing health management), was further broken down into categories (action and external supports) and subcategories (Going with the flow, Rising up/calling out, Succumbing to the undercurrent, and ‘People like me’). For these minority older adults, racial undercurrents (both current and past) did affect their health management decisions. Supports from people like themselves (doctors, friends, family) were important to engagement. The research team recommends OTs work to recognize and attend to racial influences on health managements while also using findings like these to dismantle barriers to access and care and promote health equity and inclusivity.

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