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HDFS Kudos Research

Study finds age discrimination predicted health behaviors related to cancer risk

Led by Professor Karen Hooker, the article “Effects of age discrimination on self-perceptions of aging and cancer risk behaviors,” was just published in The Gerontologist, including as co-authors two PHHS alumnae (Shannon Mejia in HDFS and Sandi Phibbs in HPHB), and thought leaders at the AARP. In a longitudinal study using data from the Health and Retirement Study, the researchers found that age discrimination predicted health behaviors related to cancer risk. This study adds to the growing literature on the public health risks of ageism and self-perceptions of aging. This article is part of a supplemental issue of The Gerontologist, “Opportunities for Cancer Prevention During Older Adulthood,” which is now available for free online. A video about the issue can be found on YouTube.