title: Racial and ethnic diversity in senior centers: comparing participant characteristics in more and less multicultural settings.
abstract: The 2008 Health Indicators Project surveyed a probability sample (N = 1,870) of New York City senior center participants. Attendees of racially and ethnically diverse and nondiverse senior centers were compared across 5 domains: demographics; health and quality of life; social support networks; neighborhood perceptions and engagement; health service access/utilization. Although homogeneous and diverse center participants demonstrate similar health and quality-of-life outcomes, those from diverse centers demonstrate greater risk of social isolation, receive less family support, and more likely seek medical care from hospitals or community clinics. Implications and future directions for research, practice and policy are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY 10035, USA. ngiunta@hunter.cuny.edu
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Giunta
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Morano
authors.forename: Nina S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Parikh
authors.forename: Dana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.forename: Marianne C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Fahs
authors.forename: William T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Gallo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006299:Health Services for the Aged; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006707:Homes for the Aged; D016852:Housing for the Elderly; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009519:New York City / Q000208:ethnology; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life; D012934:Social Isolation; D012944:Social Support