Race and health-related quality of life in midlife women in Baltimore, Maryland.
OBJECTIVE
Only a few studies have examined the association between race/ethnicity and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) during midlife. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine this association in the context of a population-based study of Caucasian and African-American women aged 45-54 years.


METHODS
Data from 626 pre- and peri-menopausal African-American and Caucasian women aged 45-54 years were analyzed. HRQOL was measured using Cantril's Self-Anchoring Ladder of Life, a validated measure of overall life satisfaction. Body mass index was determined using measured height and weight. Information on race and other variables such as education was based on self-report. Logistic regression models were constructed to examine the unadjusted and adjusted associations between race and low present HRQOL (< or =6 on Cantril's Ladder of Life).


RESULTS
In both the unadjusted and adjusted analyses, race was not significantly associated with low present HRQOL (unadjusted OR 1.57; 95% CI 0.93, 2.65; adjusted OR 0.82; 95% CI 0.42, 1.61). In the fully adjusted model, only the number of menopausal symptoms and self-rated health were significantly associated with present HRQOL.


CONCLUSIONS
Findings from this population-based study suggest that race is not a statistically significant determinant of present HRQOL among midlife women.
Gallicchio
Lisa
L
The Prevention and Research Center, Weinberg Center for Women's Health and Medicine, Mercy Medical Center, Baltimore, MD 21202, United States.
Miller
Susan
S
Zacur
Howard
H
Flaws
Jodi A
JA
D001741:Black or African American; D015142:Baltimore; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003863:Depression; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life; D044469:Racial Groups; D012650:Self Disclosure; D012907:Smoking; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D044465:White People