AUTHOR=Jennings Elyse A. , Mall Sumaya , Bassil Darina T. , Kahn Kathleen 

TITLE=Exposure to Adversity and its Impact on Later Life Cognitive, Mental, and Physical Health

JOURNAL=International Journal of Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 69 - 2024

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.ssph-journal.org/journals/international-journal-of-public-health/articles/10.3389/ijph.2024.1606499

DOI=10.3389/ijph.2024.1606499

ISSN=1661-8564

ABSTRACT=Objectives. We aimed to assess later life health responses to childhood and lifetime adversity among a cohort of rural, Black South African adults. 
Methods. We perform ordinary least squares regression using two waves of data from Health and Aging in Africa: A Longitudinal Study of an INDEPTH Community in South Africa (HAALSI) to estimate decline in cognitive, mental, and physical health across approximately three years. Our analytic sample consists of 1,993 women and 1,496 men. 
Results. Associations between several types of adversity and health outcomes point to declines in health. At the same time, many adverse experiences are associated with improvements in cognitive, mental, and physical health in later life. The direction of association varied by type of exposure, health outcome, and gender. 
Conclusion. Among populations exposed to great deal of adversity in their lifetime, specific adverse experiences may sometimes be associated with greater improvements (and not only greater decline) in health in later life. Further research is needed to unpack the mechanisms at play in these populations.