With growing numbers of minority elderly in the United States, unique characteristics have been associated with aging population subgroups-ethnic, cultural, and racial. In addition to calling attention to particular problems within and between subgroups, these characteristics are also shedding light on the aging process in general. This article offers an overview of distinct differences in health parameters between aging sub-populations, including mortality, acute and chronic illness, and use of health services. It is noted that data collection techniques and measures and the reliability of these methods differ greatly between studies of different populations, making cross-population comparisons problematic. In addition to improving the database, additional research is needed on the cultural factors that affect health-seeking and health-promoting behaviors, on culturally appropriate treatment modalities or preferences, and on decision hierarchies.
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