Racial differences in health grow smaller in the oldest populations, and African Americans who survive to join the oldest-old category have a slightly longer life expectancy than whites of the same age.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This phenomenon is known as the "crossover effect," where racial disparities in mortality rates diminish among the oldest age groups, and in some cases, life expectancy for African Americans who reach very old age may exceed that of their white counterparts. This can be attributed to a variety of factors, including survivorship bias, where individuals who survive to old age may have inherently better health or health behaviors than those who do not.

Racial Differences in Health Grow Smaller in the Oldest Populations