Examining the Health and Well-Being of Older Black Women in Canada

Inequities in health systematically put groups of people who are socially disadvantaged due to

being poor, female, a particular age and/or a member of a disenfranchised racial group at further

disadvantage. Black people comprise 3% of Canada's population and are more likely to be exposed

to risk but less likely to seek preventative care. Older Black women face further disadvantages

because of multiple intersecting factors related to their race, gender, and age. This dissertation

presents findings from a sequential mixed methods study conducted to understand the health,

wellbeing, and aging experiences of older Black women aged 55 and older in Canada. The study

design and data analysis were informed by two theoretical frameworks: intersectionality and the

life course perspective. First, using data from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS),

several multilevel logistic regression models were used to establish and compare association

between racial identity and inequalities in hypertension, diabetes, cancer, chronic obstructive

pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, self-rated health, and self-rated mental health between Black

and White men and women aged 55 and older. Second, qualitative phenomenological interviews

were conducted simultaneously to gain a deeper understanding of the health and wellbeing of older

Black women and factors that have influenced their health and wellbeing across their life course.

These were factors that could not be deeply explored through the CCHS. Twenty-seven semistructured

interviews were conducted with Black women aged 55 and older living in the Greater

Toronto Area. Following the conclusion of the first two phases, a thematic content analysis was

completed for eight policy documents to determine whether and how the need for adequate housing

among older Black women was addressed. These needs were identified in the semi-structured

interviews conducted in the previous qualitative phase of the study.